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The 


Twentieth 
Century Woman 


TOWARD 

THE 


Reconstructive 

Movement 


BY MRS. MATILDE J. BERRA 

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. 

1376 Cor. 20lh and Willard Ave. 



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nrarofsim 

Two Gooles aecefved 

MAY 7 1904 

« CBoycleht Entry 
CLASS /t XXCjJio. 
COPY B 


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Copyright, 1904 

BY MRS. MATILDE J. BERRA 


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PRESS APPEAL PUBLISHING 
GIRARD, KANSAS 


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Mrs. matilde j. Berra 




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1 




The Twentieth Century Woman Toward 
The Reconstructive Movement. 


CHAPTER I. 

Aga^in, and again, v/ould sound through the country the ini- 
portant news, — as the daily press stated — that a great social event 
would take place iii one of the large eastern- cities. Nothing was 
to be neglected, everything would be done to attract public atten- 
tion to the great fact, — tha^t the daughter of a prominent mil- 
lionaire was to marry one of the most famous aristocrats ol 
Russia. The press announced the news with such striking effects, 
that it appeared an event of national importance. Every detail 
was given of the extra,ordinary display at the palatial residence 
of the bride’s parents — who had decreed that the event should 
surpass anything ever conceived of in splendor and magnificence. 

The auspicious day finally arrived. At the appointed hour, 
the exclusive set of society began to appear. One elegant equip- 
age after another brought the precious cargos to the monumental 
entrance of the residence. The bride groom, attired in the con- 
ventional black dress suit, attracted many admiring glances. 
The lovely bride, in her beautiful boudoir, had begged her par- 
ents for the favor of a moment of silent retirement, which was 
readily granted. 

Finally, the last one of the invited guests were ushered in, 
the “Man of God” was ready as the hour for the solemn ceremony 
was soon to strike. The friends, receiving no signs, and not 
daring to intrude and disturb the fair young lady, began to feel 
as if every second was as long as an hour. ^ It was becoming 
visible to many that the mother’s a.nxiety was getting beyond 
her control. The bridal procession was being formed, but, where 
was the beautiful, the important couple? ‘ 

A vague terror seized the mother’s heart, and forgetting 
everything, she rushed toward her daughter’s room. After a 
vain attempt to open the door, a faint scream was hea,rd. A mix- 


— 6 — 


ture of fear and surprise kept the assembly like spell bound. As 
the door was finally opened, muffled sounds of dismay reached the 
ears of ^ the outsiders, and the suppressed restlessness , increased 
as they saw the mother, supported by two attenda,nts, looking 
deathly pale, and in trembling and broken tones, she murmured 
some apologies, and said there was to be no wedding, and in a 
fainting condition she was taken to her room. Some of the near- 
est friends followed her, while the rest, with most conflicting 
emotions, silently withdrew. 

Not till after the family was left alone could they realize the 
full extent of the blow that so completely shattered their most 
cherished hopes. When the bride’s room was opened, the elegant 
bridal costume was found neatly folded and placed on an otto- 
man. An envelope addressed to her parents was found in her 
dainty card receiver. '‘Dear parents and friends,” she wrote, “It 
nearly breaks our hearts to bring upon you this terrible disap- 
pointment, but there are duties which, if disregarded, will bring 
undeserved ruin and death to millions of human beings, and this 
is our first offering on the altar of a doomed civilization, which 
cannot be prevented unless the willing hearts of those who have 
it in their power, come to the rescue We shall, by mutual agree- 
ment, be married in a plain, unassuming manner, becoming to a 
humble couple who have vowed to devote their life to help the 
true reformers to uplift, and reconstruct the wrongly called 
‘Modern Civilization.’ Hoping and praying that you may per- 
fectly understa,nd that nothing but a strong desire to help to 
solve the great problems of this age has induced us to take these 
steps. From the depths of our hearts we beg for forgiveness. 
Your sincere daughter and son-in-law, Ernestine and Ivanhoe.” 




CHAPTER II. 


In order to give the readers the chance to understand this 
strange occurrence, it will be necessary to become acquainted 
with the early family history of our persona, ges. Mr. and Mrs.' 
Palmey, the bride’s parents, were a happy couple, who lived in a 
good-sized town, which, according to the opinion of far-sighted 
people, would develop into a large and important city. Mr. 
Palmey had for a number of years followed the modest vocation 
of a peddler. His business was not very extensive, but lie 
managed to keep his family very comfortable^ besides laying 
aside some money, which many superficial observers would not 
have suspected. John Palmey, as he was called, was always wel- 
come, and as everybody thought, tha,t when the traveling mer- 
chant would visit them, it would be hardly right to let him depart 
empty handed, so little sums of money Tvere always ready, and 
his articles seemed to be just what his customers wanted. As 
his business increased, he would at times be from home two and 
sometimes three weeks, and great was the rejoicing of the little 
family at his return, and the mother would of course never tire 
of relating to papa the wonderful doings and sayings of the dear 
Ernestine. 

One thing she always hesitated to relate to the happy listener, 
— and one day, looking eaimestly into her husband’s Inquiring 
face, she said: 

“John, I do not know whether you will laugh, or whether 
you will feel a sense of alarm as I did.” 

“Proceed, my dear,” said he, “whatever it is I like to hear it.” 

“Very well,” she said. “About two days before you returned, 

I was busy in the dining room, and Ernestine was entirely 
absorbed with her playthings, when, a, 11 of a sudden she screamed 
and said: ‘Oh! Mamma, look!’ With both hands extended in 
front of her, and a faraway look in her eyes,— ‘look,’ and she 
screamed again, ‘that poor little girl bitten by that ugly big dog! 
Oh, look, look, papa, helping the poor little thing!’ I rushed to 
her and strained my eyes, but of course, could see nothing. 1 


— 8 — 


noticed a sort of vibration agitating her whole body. The first 
alarming thought that flashed through my mind was that the 
child was delirious, but she looked up to me smiling and said: 
‘Papa helped the little girl,’ a,nd then continued her play.” 

“How strange!” said John, “that very thing did happen, but 
what does it mean? It sounds mysterious, and I tell you, wife, 
I feel a strong aversion to anything of that sort, and I think the 
better course to take in this matter, is to drop it, and avoid it 
with a,ll possible care.” 

“You speak wisely, John, and I agree with you, we will dis- 
miss it from our minds 

Just at this juncture, Ernestine, running in, shouted, “Papa, 
a man tells you out there,” and she pointed in a direction which 
was neither the door nor window. “He says you have forgotten 
something at his home.” 

“Yes, my dear,” he said, and then checking himself, he looked 
apprehensively at his wife. 

“Wh ,” shouted the child as a quivering motion ran 

through her frame, and away she ran as quickly as she had 
come. 

Husband and wife looked at ea,ch other for a while without 
uttering a word. 

“It is more than I can understand,” said John slowly, “I 
have forgotten something as the child said, but think of the dis- 
tance, and no one except that man and myself know anything 
about it! Tell me, has this often happened?” 

“Quite often, but never so strikingly singular.” 

A long pause followed, and evidently both parents were think- 
ing very intently on the inexpressible phase appearing in the 
child’s life. 

“One good thing,” said the father, with a deep sigh of relief, 
“it leaves her unaffected either in mind or body.” 

A rap at the door brought the conversation to a close. Mr. 
Palmey admitted the newcomer, and soon, both were discussing 
business propositions, which engaged their whole attention. After 
the stranger left, John asked his wife: 

“Did ^ you pay any particular nt)tice to the individual who 
has just left?” ^ 

“No,” she replied, “I was so much absorbed with my own 
thoughts, I paid attention to nothing else.” 


— 9 — 


“It is just as well, perhaps/’ said he, “for I must confess, that 
his presence and especially some of his insinuations stirred up 
something in me, at which my conscience seems to rebel. You 
know how happy our life has been. Contentment and peace have 
been our white- winged guardian a^ngels,. so to speak. Our busy 
industrial habits have protected us against the feverish unrest 
which is noticeable everywhere.” He glanced at his wife, who 
was looking at the floor, and continued. “How is it that 'some 
people seem to. possess the power and influence, or whatever it 
may be called, which seems to act upon us a^s a solving, disin- 
tegrating force, and changes us so that we sometimes hardly know 
ourselves. Have you ever experienced anything of the kind?” 

His wife had not moved, and without changing her position, 
she said: 

“From many of your remarks during our married life, I have 
formed an idea in my mind, that I was a negative, a passive 
being, and that it was my weakness which caused me to become 
susceptible to the controlling and assertive will of others. Wha,t 
you said about our happy life is true, but whenever I come in 
contact with Mrs. Jenken, her conversation, her careless 
remarks and indifference, about the condition of other people, 
her skill to hold herself and her family on a high top. — people 
who once were no higher than we are. I tell you I am not satis- 
fied, and find myself wishing for a different state of affairs. 
I envy her her fine mansion, her brilliant and cultured society. Our 
condition seems so obscure, and Ernestine growing up to be a 
— nobody!” 

“Hush, wife!” said John in a repressed tone of voice. “The 
insinuations of the stranger were disturbing my peace. He insisted 
that in me was the right kind of metal to bring me out of this 
condition, and make of me what the world appreciates apd 
admires, a wealthy, man! The temptation was powerful, but, 
way up in my inner self, I found the strength to resist it, but, 
wife, the thoughts you have expressed, oh, they sank deep in my 
hea^t.” 

“Yes,” continued Mrs. Palmey, “there is Mrs. Sh., how well I 
remember how she smothered the protests of her conscience. IShe 
was well informed as to the questionable manner with which her 
husba,nd obtained that public office, but what of it! They became 
great society people, admired for the great energy and public 


— 10 — 


spirit of her husband; while if the true sta,te of affairs—” the door 
flew open, and Ernestine came bouncing into the room, but at 
the sight of the perturbation so plainly apparent in her parents’ 
countenances, she looked from one to the other. Her mother rose 
quickly, and taking her by the ha,nd, said: 

“Come, child, we will get the meal ready, while papa will 
attend to some business.” 

Ernestine followed her mother. Before leaving the room she 
glanced at her father, who, with a peculiar expression sat motion- 
less. After the door was closed, he shook himself with an effort, 
and muttered to himself: “From this day, there shall be a com- 
plete change in our existence — indeed, why should I act different 
from the rest of the world? Why should I not improve the 
chances tha,t are thrown in my way? Ah, yes! sharp dealings 
sometimes — but, well business is business. I will go and see 
the gentleman, the agent who came to see me. No doubt, there 
is a golden opportunity which I in my foolishness treated with 
disdain, but, perhaps, it is not too late. His address, where is his 
address, great heavens! Only a few hours ago I spurned the 
idea of having any dealings with unscrupulous parties, unscrupu- 
lous, did I say, oh, what madness!” 

Almost with a feverish haste he left the room. His wife 
called him, but all he said was: “I must attend to some very 
pressing business; will be back as soon as possible,” and off he 
went. 

Mrs. Pajlmey tried hard to conceal her uneasiness from the 
inquiring little girl. Her unceasing questionings made the 
mother wish again and again that her ^husband had not 
left, but only toward evening, , did they hear the famil- 
iar steps. As he appeared, his wife felt a sense of appre- 
hension. To an outsider John Palmey was the same as he had 
alwa,ys been, but to the keen, observing eyes of the wife, his face 
bore the mark of a flerce resolve. He spoke little that evening, 
and there seemed to be a painful estrangement between him and 
his little daughter, and when she finally fell asleep, he appeared 
greatly relieved. 

“From this day,” he said to his wife, when they were alone, ‘T 
shall plunge headlong into business, and let no opportunity escape 
which will make me a wealthy man, but ask no questions, you 


— 11 — 


shall be able to shine like others, and, Ernestine shall not grow 
up to be — a nobody!” 

‘‘John,” said his wife, “you almost frighten me. Forgive my 
thoughtlessness, let us ” 

“No. I am determined to leave nothing untried that will 
increase wealth at a rapid pace. I begin to feel the metal in me 
which will put me in a position to command respect. Mr. 
Sharpy is going to put me through some indispensable routines, 
and thinks his time will not be wasted. He is exceedingly 
shrewd, and — we may later on form a partnership. I have an 
appointment with him tomorrow morning early, and as it 
is getting late, I will say good night,” and he went to his room. 

Mrs. Palmey lingered a while, and then also retired to where 
Ernestine lay fast asleep. Next morning .while the family were 
having breakfast, the young girl seemed struck with a sudden 
thought, and in a loud voice said: 

“Papa, what are sharp dealings?” 

Her father almost started from his chair, but recovering 
quickly, and feigning not to have heard, said something about 
the meal, and the great haste of being off. His wife having 
noticed his embarrassment, pla^ced something before the girl and 
had her attention diverted from the question. Mr. Palmey hur- 
ried through with his meal, and bidding goodby to mother and 
child, went straight to Mr. Sharpy’s house, which was quite dis- 
tant. 





CHAPTER III. 


Mr. Sharpy was evidently waiting for him. As he arrived, 
he stood on the veranda . of his lajge and fine residence, as soon 
as he perceived Mr. Palmey he made a sign of approval, and said, 
“how important a feature punctuality was, in order to succeed 
in any enterprise.” 

John said he wa,s perfectly aware of the fact, and a strong 
believer in it. 

“I know, I know,” said Mr. Sharpy, leading the way into his 
large library. “I have a splendid chance for the investment of 
your savings. You are acquainted with the mining district of 
N. N. It is thickly settled, and a sort of an epidemic has broken 
out. The doctors call it scurvy, a,nd how the credulous people 
got it into their heads that pickles are the most effective remedy, 
is more than I can explain. Anyway, this is the right season, 
and our abundant harvest will consist in buying all the pickles 
that can be had for a trifle, and we ca,n reap almost 100 per cent 
profit, but,’* — looking John squarely in the face — “What comes 
uj) now, does it not suit you?” 

“Mr. Sharpy, the thought came to me that taking advantage 
of the poor wretches ” 

“Ha, ha ha! Sentimentality still on top, eh? Scatter that 
nonsense to the winds, or you’ll miss the mark. Still, it is not 
my way of forcing anyone into seeing things as I do, and you 
are at perfect liberty to go your way as I go mine.” 

He took up a book, and began to turn the leaves^ while in 
John’s breast raged a, struggle for the supremacy of right over 
wrong, but Mb wife’s complaints, and his promises to her, 
appeared like something living and exacting before his weaken- 
ing conscience. With a faint smile he said: 

“I suppose I must accustom myself to look at things, or busi- 
ness, with a more practical eye than I have done heretofore.” 

“Yes. or ! will ha,ve to dispense with your services. If you 
want to succeed, no faltering ways nor half measures are to be 
indulged in* I entertain no doubt as to your ability, if you take 


—13 


the trouble to steel yourself against what I consider an unbusi- 
nesslike consideration. 

Handing him a large envelope, he said: “Here you will find 
every instruction in the most minute details. Follow them 
carefully, and then, I know the results will be favorable. The 
sooner you start, the better, and so the quicker we shall be 
ready for another transaction. I keep a constant survey on the 
field of opportunities, and it shall not be through any fault of 
mine if we miss any. As soon as you ha,ve fairly started; it is 
necessary that I be kept informed about all your movements, 
and now — this ends our interview.” Accompanying him to the 
door he bid him good morning and returned to his library. 

John, holding the envelope tightly in his hand, stepped into 
one of the public houses, and in an adroit and cautious manner 
began to make inquiries a.bout the man who in a manner so 
peculiar crossed his life. In an offhand way while sipping his 
beverage, he obtained some information from the ready talker, 
the proprietor of the inn. 

“You must be a stranger,” he said. “Your questions show 
that plainly. You do not know Mr. Sharpy? It is true that for 
a number of yeays he is living a retired, or rather a peculiar life. 
He is entirely changed since the terrible blow — the loss of his 
lovely wife. Their life had been an unceasing round of gaities. 
Their palatial residence looked like an open court which many 
a petty monarch might have envied. He possesses immense 
wealth, but I doubt if any one knows how he lives. From the 
old woman, Margarete, who manages the household, no one can 
get any information. She, no doubt obeys strictly her master’s 
instructions. 

John thought he would content himself so as not to arouse 
any suspicion, and in an unconcerned way took his leave. 

“A capital fellow, that Gaspar Zucchi,” murmured Mr. Sharpy 
a.s he began to assort a pile of papers on his desk. “He has dis- 
covered the right kind of a man. I hardly think there Is 
another man that will fill the bill, so to speak, as this man 
John Palmey. How did Gaspar get hold of him? But of course 
that’s his business. Lucky, I am, that I have at my disposition a 
man of thaj kind. But — how often these thoughts occur to me — 
how have I ever become possessed with this mania, of surpassing 
every living being in accumulating wealth? This tendency did 


- 14 - 


not exist in me in former years, — but why touch upon the past? 
I find it a great satisfaction to be far above the common level, 
and to be pointed at as the greatest possessor of riches! And 
what a sweet morsel to see prominent preachers, big college 
lights, bow% pay homage and if need be, kiss the ground under 
my feet for giving them a lump of my acquisitions! Ah! here 
is the document — a large and valuable estate — for many years 
bone of contention — sharp litigation between contending par- 
ties. This is a delicate piece, but the right way of maneuvering 
will bring it as easy and successfully as other such valuable 
bitrgains. This will undoubtedly demand my personal supervision, 
which I do not relish. It is not cowardice, but a habit I have 
acquired. Well, it will soon be time to meet Gaspar. I so often 
think that he is a capita,! fellow, and that I am lucky that I have 
at my disposition a man of that kind. I seem to feel that way, 
when I do not see him, but why, when in contact with him, there 
arouses in me an antagonistic, not to say repulsive feeling. His 
furtive, unsteady gaze bespeaks an evil na^ture, and yet, how 
indispensable his services!” Looking at his timepiece, “Ah, i 
shall reach there just in time.” 

Breaking his long soliloquy, he called to the housekeeper 
through a speaking tube, gave a few orders, and hurriedly left 
the house. 

John’s curiosity to know the contents of the envelope 
increased as he got nearer and nearer home. Several times he 
v/as on the verge to look for a secluded place and acquaint him- 
self a^t once with the role he was to play, but he felt distrustful 
and grew anxious to be in his private and familiar room. It was 
quite late when he reached home. His wife and child had retired, 
and as noiselessly as he could, he made his way to his room. 
In a feverish haste he prepared everything, a,nd finally sat in 
his accustomed place, opened the envelope, and found in a firm, 
bold handwriting, every detail as to places of operations, etc., 
and several letters of introduction. After having considered the 
whole matter carefully, he felt at ease, a,nd retired for the night. 

At an unusually early hour in the morning, Mrs. Palmey 
heard her husband astir and hurriedly dressed herself and stepped 
lightly to where he was. She saw him making preparations for 
the morning meal. She stood a, while watching him, — the poor 


man’s face looked so troubled — then coming for^Ya^d^ she said: 
“John, how unusual!” 

“Yes, wife, quite so. I did not wish to disturb you. 
But I shall be absent for quite a while,” and, without 
another word, he returned to his room, and in his usual methodi- 
cal wa,y, soon had everything in readiness. Coming back he 
found his wife had taken extra pains in preparing his favorite 
morsels, and soon they were seated tete-a-tete eating their 
early meal; he at times trying to be cheerful, while the sudden 
change that was going on seemed to prevent his wife from collect- 
ing her wits. 

“If you were not in such a great hurry, John;” she said, “1 
would think it very queer you ha,ve not been to see, nor have 
you inquired, about Ernestine .” 

“Well,” he stammered, “how is she — has she had any more 
of those peculiar ?” 

“No — and yes,” his wife began, “yester .” 

“Well, you will tell it to me next time. I must really go. 
It is quite a journey to the mining district. This business must 
be started. You know an epidemic may take a sudden change, 
and then this scheme would be a complete failure .” 

“Scheme,” sa,id his wife, “that is the word that seems to 
haunt the mind of our little girl — papa and scheme.” 

“Well, dear, I must be off — goodby,” and picking up his 
traveling things, he almost ran out of the house. 

“How dreamlike this all appears,” whispered Mrs. Palmey. 
“May it not be all wrong?” 

“Mamma,” came a voice from Ernestine’s room, “v/here is 
pajoa?” 

Reluctantly she directed her steps toward her, and began to 
say that papa had been called away on some very pressing busi- 
ness, and when she reached the room, she found the girl had gone 
to sleep again, which relieved her very much. Being too early to 
begin the household duties, she laid down a,gain, but she was 
restless and awake till the usual rising hour. She arose and 
went through her work, tried hard to overcome the restless con- 
dition, but did not succeed. 

One of her neighbors came to her for . a chat. “What was 
Mr. Palmey going to do?” was one of the many questions. 


^IG 


“Quite a number of the neighbors are wondering, but had 
no chance to speak to him.” 

Mrs. Palmey felt quite embarrassed, but recovering, told her 
that John had made up his mind to change his business, and 
they had well founded hopes to better their condition. 

The neighbor’s mouth was wide open with surprise. She 
tried to obtajn more information, but Mrs. Palmey’s caution was 
aroused, and her short answ'ers were taken by her friend as a 
hint, and soon she was left alone. 

The next day she and Ernestine went out for a walk, when 
there appeared in the distance Mrs. Jenken’s carriage. At it drew 
near, Mrs. Pajmey was surprised, noticing the cheerful and 
friendly manner wdth which Mrs. Jenken greeted her. 

“Why, my dear,” she said with a sweet smile, “I have heard 
of your husband’s good luck, and I would not be surprised if it 
was through your infusing into him some woman’s energy that 
he got out of his old rut. It was what I had to do with mine. 
Come, take a seat right here. I am in no hurry. You know I 
a,lways had a liking for you. I always had a desire to have you 
for an intimate friend, but, you knov/, the ways of the world — 
and now that everything will change, and I know Mr. Palmey 
will succeed — you will be fit to take place among the higher 
classes, and I tell you one of the most important ways to get 
into the best society, is to join one of the fashionable churches. 

And this smart girl of yours, you must remove her from the 

common school. We have some fine priva,te schools for the chil- 
dren of the better classes. Only the other day if you have seen 
it, it was advertised that a school for the children of refined 
and aristocratic parents would be opened. An institution which 

bears the pretty title of ‘Casa de Rosas.’ But, excuse me, I am 

so delighted, that I forget, I am doing all the talking. Come and 
see me, or I might just as Avell drive you home.” 

Mrs. Palmey seemed to be dazzled. What she said w^a.s mean- 
ingless and entirely out of joint, so Mrs. Jenken had everything 
in her own way, and as they were nearing Mrs. Palmey’s house, 
her friend said: “Now, let me also tell you, as soon as your 
husband is fairly established in business, you must move out 
of this neighborhood into a more respecta.ble one. You cannot 
live among the common people and expect to be received among 
the better classes. Now goodby dear.” 


— 17 — 

Slowly, and as one completely hypnotised, Mrs. Palmey 
entered her house. Ernestine’s voice seemed to finally bring her 
to herself. 

“Oh, how abominable!” she cried out. “What an idiot the 
presence of that woman makes of me! Would not any reason- 
a,bie woman tell her in plain language how despicable her ideas 
are? I almost dread her presence, but what can I do?” 

A few days later Mrs. Palmey was busy in her yard, when a 
slip of paper was thrown in. She picked it up and read an adver- 
tisement of a lecture to be given, the subject beirLg: “One of the 
most wonderful discoveries of the age — the discovery of the sixth 
sense in mankind!” The invitation to the public was very press- 
ing, and Mrs. Palmey having considerable leisure, made up her 
mind to attend it. The lecture was quite long, and the lecturer 
used terms that were unfamiliar to her, but nevertheless a vague 
feeling came over her, that, perhaps, on that basis could be 
explained Ernestine’s pecuiiai*, or rather, natural gift. 

Her husband’s long absence began to cause her much uneasi- 
ness. Over two months since he left, and only meager news had 
reached her. As the time went on, she grew more restless. 
One day, as she and her daughter were sitting in the family room, 
an uncontrollable desire seized her, to test Ernestine’s power to 
see — as the lecturer cla,imed it was possible — independently of the 
outer senses. 

In an abrupt manner she asked: “Tell me, dear, where is 
papa?” 

The young girl looked at her, surprised, and said: “Mamma, 
I thought you knew. He is attending to some business, he will 
soon be home now, but — oh, mamma! that is not good business. 
Papa is making a good lot of money, but it makes some people 
awful angry. They swear and threaten, because people need the 
goods, they are poor and sick. Papa pays little for some goods 
and asks too much for them.” 

“Well, now dear, you surely do not know if it is so — papa be- 
ing so far away,” — but she said no more and left the room. 

Next day was to be a school picnic, and early in the morning 
they were lip. Ernestine, who dearly loved to be outdoors, spoke 
cheerfully of what they would do the whole day in the cool and 
lovely grove, where the day was to be spent. Happy and smiling 
she w'ent off a,t the appointed hour. For some time her mother 


— 18 — 


had been pondering how she would dispose of the long day before 
her, when she heard the gate door open, and looking out, then* 
stood her husband. The surprise was so great, that for a moment 
she could not move. He walked in, and affectionately embraced 
her. It took quite a while, before the eager questionings of the 
wife, gave her husband a cha^nce to answer coherently. Finally 
he informed her how he had ‘‘succeeded beyond his highest expec- 
tations. I have to start immediately into another enterprise, and 
if the profits in the first were good, I am promised that the next 
is to surpass it.* I met the school children on their way to a 
picnic. Ernestine waved her hand to me, she looked so radiant 
with happiness, the dear child looks real well. By the way, tell 
me, how has she felt during my absence?” 

“Very well, but— shall I tell you?” 

“Yes, do.” 

“She does not like your business, she calls it bad heart- 
less.” 

“Does she?” he inquired with a startled look. “Do you know, 
wife, I feel like a culprit in her presence. I underwent a terrible 
struggle. I kept repeating to myself that it was business but 
it would not give my conscience peace. Again and again the 
struggle became fiercer, and one afternoon when we had to stop 
a few hours at a station in a small town, the protests of my con- 
science were so unbearable that I could not sit still. I strolled 
.through the town, and passing by a second hand store— every- 
thing was to be found there. In looking carelessly over the 
goods, a much worn out book attracted my attention. It bore the 
title ‘Self-Made Man.’ I do not know the reason why, b’lt I felt, 
that I must own, that book. The price was low and I bought it 
with much eagerness. I sta,rted to read it on my way to the 
station, and read it all the time I was on the train, and when 
I was through reading it, the sentimental promptings — as Mr. 
Sharpy calls them— had vanished. What fascinating rea,ding, how 
those men covered themselves \vith glory — and some, who, when 
they started, were in more humble callings than I was 
enga.ged in when I took this new step. And think of the' 
startling coincidence — one of the big men, our most prominent 
man— Senator Pli., made the first start toward amassing a for- 
tune in the same line, as the onet offered to me by Mr. Sharpy, 
and in the book it is described as a fortune founded on industry 


—19 


and activity; how he acquired honor and distinction, by grasping 
opportunities as they arose. One of them consisted in buying 
• pickles for one dollar a, gallon and selling them for ten! Now, 
if the coming across that book was not — well — I hardly dare say 
‘Providence/ I experienced in carrying on my business, especially 
with the poor and sick people, that it was something extra- 
ordinary in uplifting my sinking courage. I shall treasure that 
book, I assure you. The only drawback is Ernestine’s innocent 
opposition. She is only a child of course.” 

‘T have not told you,” said Mrs. Palmey, “of the interesting 
meeting I had with Mrs. Jenken. That woman’s ideas are of the 
most selfish kind. You know that we grew up together and she 
always aftected a strong kind of friendship toward me, but since 
her husband has swung into prominence, she ha^d apparently 
forgotten me, but as soon as it reached her ears that you were 
engaged in a sort of business which will improve our condi- 
tions 

“But,” inquired John, “how did it reach her ears?” 

“Why, in a very natural way. Soon' after you left, Mrs. Ham- 
lin came to see me. She was very inquisitive about your doings. 
I did not give her much information, but she spoke as if the 
neighbors and other people knew it, and the next day in going 
out for a walk, we met Mrs. Jenken, who was out for a drive, 
and nothing would do, but I must take a seat in her carriage. 
She is entirely changed toward me, a,nd I cannot repeat all the 
instructions she gave me, of what we must do as soon as you are 
well started in the new business. We must join a fashionable 
church, we must leave this common neighborhood, and take our 
daughter out of the common school.” 

“Ah! just wait an instant,” exclaimed John. “This is a 
timely suggestion — but, of course, hew can I, for a moment, 
indulge in such a thought? I would be cruel to demand of you 
such a, sacrifice.” 

“Explain your ideas,” said Mrs. Palmey, eagerly. 

“The idea that struck me,” said John, “was to place Ernes- 
tine in a boarding school, and then arose the thought, how could 
•I ask you to part with her?” 

“John, [ have been laboring with those thoughts ever since 
Mrs. Jenken mentioned that matter. The ta,sk of parting with 
the child will be a severe one; parting with her, after our lives 


- 20 — 


have been so closely knit together for fourteen years, will demand 
perhaps a firmer resolution than I can muster. But I have repeat- 
edly put to myself the question; Is the temporary parting, and* 
my unreasonable feelings to sta,nd in the way, and deprive him 
from acquiring wealth and its concomitant, social distinction and 
admiration?” 

“The sensible view you take, my dear, infuses into me new 
strength. A while ago you spoke with a tinge of sarcasm, that 
Mrs. Jenken took the credit of her husband having swung into 
prominence through her insinua,tions. I am willing to grant her 
the credit, and I begin to feel, that women have a way of lead- 
ing men to do whatever they wish; some use one stratagem, 
others use another, but it is nevertheless their way into which 
men fall. I saw not long ago a description of how, about half a 
dozen men, who had never dreamed of aspiring to the high public 
offices of the United States until their ambitious sweethearts put 
the temptation into their minds, and under no other considera- 
tion should the lovers think of obtaining their hands and 
hearts!” 

“But w^e are wandering from our main subject. So you have 
been considering the plan of putting the child into a private 
school. Considering the change in our condition and environ- 
ments, I think it a wuse plan, and I also believe it will be a very 
wise plan if you take the pains to cultivate Mrs.’ Jenken’s friend- 
ship. She has for a number of years been among the best social 
set.” 

“Yes,” replied his wife, “and by being more in her company, 

I may overcome the sense of inferiority which seems to possess 
me when she condescends to speak to me. Perhaps if I can lift 
myself into the idea that soon I may be her equal in worldly pos- 
sessions, then that trying and uncomfortable something will 
leave me.” 

“I feel sure that you will succeed, because I know what my 
feelings were when I first came face to face with that rich man, 
Mr. Sharpy. How insignificant a,nd humble I appeared in my 
own sight. Now, having succeeded so well in my first enter- 
prise, I strongly feel my importance, and I can hold my head as 
high as anybody. I will leave this matter entirely in your 
ha.nds, and with the assistance of your friend it will be arranged 
satisfa,ctorily.” 


-21 


“Now, a few words in regard to Mr. Sharpy. When I reported 
to him the results of my trip, he showed signs of much approval. 
He complimented my sagacity and congratulated himself on his 
unerring judgment. My judgment may not be as keen as his, 
but, if I were in his plaice, I would not trust his head man as 
implicitly as he does. Tha,t man fills me with distrust. Duplicity 
and a cunning disposition are marked so plain on his ugly coun- 
tenance, that I am glad that my business relation does not bring 
me in contact with him. The next undertaking will put me in the 
position of playing an important part and if we succeed, Mr. 
Sharpy ga.ve me to .understand that my path to fortune will not 
be a slow and trying one, but I will get there by jumps and 
leaps. Now, then, let us study this situation carefully. You can 
make your choice, or consult with Mrs. Jen ken in regard to xhe 
most attractive church .” 

“Oh! I cannot do that!” with an emphatic gesture of disap- 
proval, exclaimed his wife. 

“How could I? My plain and unstylish garments, oh, no! 
I could never think of going — unless .” 

“Well, yes, my dear, unless you could appear as elegant as 
anybody else, and you shall! Have you forgotten that I did 
not return empty handed?” 

“No, I have not, but I thought you needed the money.” 

“Just so, but I shall leave you a neat little sum^ and you 
shall dispose of it to suit yourself.” 

“John!” said his wife, visibly moved, “it is good and thought- 
ful of you, and I will put it to the best use.” 

“I will now take a stroll down town, and be home for 
lunch.” 

Taking his hat, he went. Mrs. Palmey felt in very good 
humor, and carefully prepared her husband’s favorite dishes. At 
the lunch hour her husband appeared, his arms full of the delica- 
cies of the sea, son, the sight of which made her eyes sparkle with 
joy. 

“No wonder,” she said, “that "everybody craves for money! 
No wonder, when we experience what money will do for us, and 
what we are deprived of without it.” 

“Business is getting ready, quicker than I looked for,” said 
Mr. Palmey. “Here is a note calling me to Mr. Sharpy, sooner than 


— 22 — 


I expected. Within a, couple of hours I must be off again, and 
as it appears to me, I may not return soon.” 

When Ernestine returned and heard that her papa had been 
callod away again, she showed great disappointment. Her 
mother, a,fter she sueceeded in calming, her, began to tell her of 
the good news, the many good things, among which was the one 
that she would be taken to a private school, and how would she 
like to go to Mme. N.’s boarding school? Did she remember the 
beautiful building? The lovely grounds, the winding walks and 
the sparkling fountains? Yes, she remembered it well. They 
had attended a fair in tha,t town about two years ago, and the 
thought of the charming place called a happy smile into the young 
face, and dispelled the shadow of disappointment. Mamma made 
an attra^ctive picture of the new school, and what nice acquaint- 
ances she would have a chance to make. Ernestine listened very 
attentively, and finally said: 

‘‘Mamma, I like all my schoolmates, they are all very good.” 

“Yes, of course, I know,” replied her mother. “We won t 
thing of that a^ny more, when papa gets through with his work, 
he will assist me in this matter.” 

The time passed much faster now, than it formerly did. 
Mrs. Palmey was a great deal in Mrs. Jenkens’ company, who 
never grew weary of planning for her. It seemed to act as a 
stimulus to the rich la,dy, who often found the time long and 
dreary. The change that came over the Palmey family, caused 
considerable comment, and much unfriendly gossip in their neigh- 
borhood, so much so that Mrs. Palmey was getting very impatient, 
and anxious to move to other quarters. Month after month 
passed, gnd at long intervals she would hear from her husband 
cheerful news. One afternoon toward the middle of the month 
of August, Mrs. Palmey and her daughter were busy examining 
some books, when they heard a vehicle stop at the gate, and at 
the same time the voice of Mr. Palmey. They ran to the door 
and with great delight and surprise they beheld a. splendid horse, 
and a handsome carriage. He noticed their delight, and after 
hearty greetings, proposed to take them out for a ride, which was 
no sooner said than done. It was a ca,lm and balmy afternoon, 
and the unexpected treat, filled the hearts of the mother and 
daughter with great pleasure. 

The reunion of the little family, was a happy one, and Ernes— 


— 23 — 


tine’s whole attention seemed to be absorbed in the new acquisi- 
tion of the horse and carriage. Mr. Paimey and his wife held a 
long conference, the wife learned that her husband’s enterprise 
had succeeded in every detail, and if it suited her, they would be- 
gin next day to look for some suitable location. 

“It will not be any too soon,'’ sa,id Mrs. Paimey. “T am 
really getting impatient. The people are so importune and in- 
quisitive. I would not regret to move a.way tomorrow, and every- 
thing seems to be tinning just the right way. We have every- 
thing ready to send our daughter to the private school, and she 
is willing to go.” 

The first thing next day, Mr. and Mrs. Paimey drove' to the 
residence of Mrs. Jenken, but the lady lia4 already started for a 
morning drive, so they drove around and inspected the best locali- 
ties and consulted with some of the agents. From that source 
they gained the necessary information and got possession of what 
suited them. 

“I feel.” said Mrs. Paimey, “ that I sha,ll not be ashamed to 
receive the calls of the best families.” 

“ I am glad,” said her husband, “and I wish I had more time 
to assist you, but I may be called away again when I lea^st expect 
it. A man with a sharper eye for business I do not believe exists 
than Mr. Sharpy, although, the common belief of those who know 
him better than I do, say, that the real motor behind him, is that 
ugly grimaced fellow, Gaspar Zucchi. It is unaccountable, at 
least to me, how two men so extremely unlike, can act in such 
close business relations. Mr. Sharpy seems fitted for a better 
vocation than that of hoarding money, and he acknowledges it 
himself. Had it not been for the loss of his beloved wife, there is 
— woman again 

“Well, John be careful or you will become too one sided. But 
to return to Mr. Sharpy. Did I hear you say that he is engaged 
in large mining speculations? There is where Mr. Jenken ac- 
quired a large share of his wealth, his wife tells me.” 

“Yes, just now an individua,! with capital reaps a magnificent 
harvest in the mining field, and there is where Mr. Sharpy a^nd 
Gaspar Zucchi are centering great attention.” 

Shortly after they returned home, they saw a stranger look- 
ing in through the gate, and enquiring in a loud voice, “Is this 


-24— 


the place where Mr. Palmey lives?” “Yes,” replied Mr. Palmcy, 
“come in.” 

“Mr. Palmey,” said the stranger, “you are to come with me 
within an hour — some pressing business for you to attend — this 
is for you,” handing him a letter. 

“Alright,” said John. 

“I will look for you at the corner of Cheney and 15th street,” 
said the stranger. “Goodby,” and hurriedly he left. 

“You see, my dear wife, when one is in business, one must be 
ready at short notice, but tliat need not trouble us a bit. You 
are equal for the emergency. Whatever you do during my ab- 
sence will be approved. The future looks so promising and 
bright, almost too much so, to appear real.” Bidding his wife 
and daughter goodby, he went to meet the stranger. 

“Not the slightest idea when papa will come back,” said Mrs. 
Palmey, “and so much to look after! In a short time the 
school will open, and perhaps it will be best to get everything 
ready for you. Mrs. Jenken kindly offered to take us in her 
carriage, if papa needed his vehicle. She is certainly very oblig- 
ing, and we must not neglect to show our appreciation.” 

The day arrived, and at an early hour Mrs. Jenken found her 
friend and daughter waiting for her. Mrs. Jenken complimented 
Ernestine, who looked so fresh and not a bit excited. 

“What a remarkable girl,” she exclaimed. “Why, anything 
like this, stirs my girls so, that it takes several days before they 
recover their natural state again. I hope, my dear, you will bo 
good friends. They being so nervous T had -them taken there a 
few days ago, and now, if ready, we will start.” 

Ernestine’s exterior did not show the strong emotions of her 
heart. She loved her parents tenderly. She felt a deep pain 
in parting with everything that was so familiar. She took a 
very loving farewell from all her young friends. She went to 
the private school because her parents wished her to go, and she 
obeyed. When the}'- arrived, a large number of young ladies were 
on the grounds watching eagerly for newcomers. Mabel and Min- 
nie Jenken came running, and Ernestine had hardly time to alight 
before they took hold of her a,nd moved lightly toward the build- 
ing. The officers of the institution welcomed the party. 

Mrs. Jenken, who was well acquainted with the managers, re- 
lieved Mrs. Palmey from every embarrssment, and she was very 


glad to have disposed of that important affair. They were soon on 
their way home. Mrs. Jenken would not have been satisfied, if 
next day, the first thing had not been a flying visit to Mrs. Pa^lmey, 
and taking many notes of the repairing needed in the new home 
of her friend, she took as much interest in it as if it were her 
own. Mrs. Palniey was suprised to see how nothing escaped her 
notice, and how quick she was to procure even the smallest 
things. When, sometimes, she preceived the perplexed look in 
Mrs. Palmey’s countenance, she would say: 

“Never mind, you will rise up to our ways, and in a short 
time be one of our set. It seems up hill work at first, I know. 
It really amuses me to see the pride with which our men style 
themselves — ‘self-made.’ Do you suppose they ever give a 
thought concerning the efforts, the unceasing efforts of the wo- 
men? It is my deep conviction, tha,t, were it not for the stimulus 
operated by the women, either in one way or another, there would 
not be the shadow of ‘self-made’ men in existence. In a conversa- 
tion with a wealthy man a few days ago, I heard him say, that a,s 
far as he was concerned, he did not care for a fine mansion. 
Plain surroundings suited him best, but that was not the ca,se 
with his wife. The cunning devices too, that women put into 
operation. You know Mrs. Lane, well it is a trifle, but it is only 
to show their ways. She wanted a more costly cover for her new 
piano. The husband objected, but she gained her point, by having 
Josie tell her father how their cover was out of date; 
that at a reception given by a friend, she noticed an ele- 
gant cover, and it made her disgusted to think that theirs was 
hardly fit to use as a bureau cover, and so on; and you know, 
next day, there was an expensive cover on the new piano? I 
know of another one, who, if she cannot get what she wants, 
she has a way of melting her husband’s heart by relating to him 
the most wonderful things in regard to his children, and he will 
be so lost in admiration and pride, that she succeeds in her game 
every time. Oh! I could tell you so many things to prove this 
fact, and if you are a little observing, you will discover how true 
the adage, that there is a woman at the bottom of almost every- 
thing. The putting of that large window in this room, improves 
it ever so much. You will have of this a very elegant home. For 
the rest of the week I will be quite busy, but for anything that I 
can do, come to me freely.” 


- 26 — 


Mrs. Palmey tlia^nkecl her heartily and they separated. Ernes- 
tine had been two weeks at the school, and she wrote her mother 
a long, loving letter. She said: 

She missed her mother very much, but everybody was so 
good to her. She was very fond of the studies, and how much 
comfort she took in the lovely grounds. “There is one thing, 
mamma, I am not used to it, and do not like it, that is, the general 
conversation of my companions. There seems to be too much 
thought of self. My former companions ha,d their minds filled 
Vvdth thoughts of usefulness, and helpfulness for others. I used 
to feel entertained in listening to the amount of work they had 
performed before coming to school — washing dishes and clothes, 
sweeping, and taking care of the babies, and you know, you al- 
ways expected me to do something too, but here, aside from the 
studies, everything seems frivolous.’’ The letter closed with many 
loving expressions, touching the mother’s heart very tenderly. 

The workmen employed for the repairing ha,d finished their 
work, and Mrs. Palmey anticipated with great pleasure her hus- 
band’s return. From last accounts, however, he was not to re- 
turn soon, and the idea struck her not to wait any longer, and 
move into the new home. In a short time, she was at home in 
the comforta^ble and elegant residence. But, as there is nothing 
perfect on earth, she realized how much more of her time was re- 
quired to keep that large house, and the idea of needing help 
came to her mind. In the meantime she received a letter from 
her husband. He extremely regretted that his anticipated home 
coming had to be postponed. “Something very important had 
turned up,” he said. The prospect is golden for those who can 
play the games adroitly. Land, coal, and silver and gold mines, 
mortgages, money loaning, they seem to have a hand in every- 
thing. I am so elated finding myself in this money making ele- 
ment. An irresistible desire to grasp and to own, takes possess- 
ion of one’s being. I do not wish to be a croaker, but, although 
the two master minds in the extensive business concern are ex- 
perts in concealing their dift'erences before outsiders, I can feel 
that everything is not right between the two, and I repeat again I 
cannot trust Gaspar Zucchi, and I have reason to believe that he 
does not like me. When we meet, he gives me such a searching 
and defiant look. One thing is certa^in, to any one who has 
even a superficial knowledge of human nature, that while Mr. 


— 27 — 


Sharpy has plunged into this money making mania from, — maybe 
some unbalanced conditions of the mind — the whole of Gaspar 
Zucchi’s countenance suggests avarice and unsrupulous avidity. 
How it will end. no one knows, but in spite of my efforts to eXpel 
the gloomy forebodings, I do not succeed. As soon as possible I 
will be home. I presume that Ernestine is at school, and if every- 
thing runs smoothly, do not wait for me, but move into the new 
home. It is late in the night, and tomorrow will be another 
busy day. Be of good cheer, bood bye — destroy this letter.” 

Mrs. Palmey read the letter several times. “I don’t know,” 
she said half aloud, “but John has some of Ernestihe’s peculari- 
ties. Wha^t makes him so suspisious of that man Zucchi? I am 
very much tempted to read this letter to Mrs. Jenken, but he tells 
me todestroy it. All right, I will do it.” 

Mrs. Palmey began to act very smartly. She glided easily 
into the way of the genteel folks of the new locality,. Now that 
she could appear in good style, she was faithful attendant at the 
fine house of worship, she had her day at home, made her morn- 
ings calls, and would, when her husband came home, give re- 
ceptions, and also attend the operas. She had destroyed the let- 
ter, but could not overcome the strong desire to discuss with Mrs. 
Jenken some points contained in it. She found her with the usual 
friendly smile of welcome, and very soon the conversation turned 
in that direction. 

“Are you interested,” Mrs. Jenken asked, “in business details?” 

“Yes, I a,m,” replied Mrs. Palmey. 

“Well, my dear, you will have to wean yourself from it. 
It is not good taste to meddle in our husband’s business. Make 
arrangements for a monthly allowance, and keep yourself free 
from business cares. You will soon find your time taken up eii- 
trely with something else. Now, that by your timely suggestions 
you got your husband in the right direction, leave him a, lone. 

“I have good news from your daughter. She is becoming the 
favorite at the institution, and one thing remarkable is, she does 
not arouse jealously or envy among the young folks. They all 
love her, my daughters write. Everybody speaks of her good 
qualities, her modest unasuming manners, and yet, they sa.y, 
many times she appears as superior to all the rest! You may 
feel gratified Mrs. Palmey.” At this moment several callers were 
announced, and Mrs. Palmey took her leave. 


— 28 — 


It was over four months since Mr. Palmey had left his home 
and when he returned, he found his wife had just arrived 
from an excursion. He was surprised and delighted at all the 
changes. 

“Now I see,'’ he said, “and appreciate more and more, what 
that valuable thing — money — in one’s possession will do. How 
better and happier one feels in quarters like these, than in the 
small and dingy place we once called our home!” 

As he took an inspection tour witli his wife^ he would stop 
every little while and exclaim: “Never before, have I realized this 
exquisite feeling. Everything suggests taste and refinement, in- 
side as well as outside. The clean cement walks outside, the 
velvety lawn, the broad and inviting verandas, I cannot under- 
stand why, as a rule, there does not exist more happiness among 
the inmates of the palatial residences. You have done well wife.” 

“I must not take ajl the credit, my dear husband. Mrs. Jen- 
ken’s untiring help has greatly aided. She is the one to whom 
this transformation is due, and it will please her to know that it 
suits your taste. We will call on them tomorrow. I think you 
will like Mr. Jenken. He is not as talkative as his wife, but he 
is very cordial and agreeable.” 

“I shall be very glad to get acquainted with them, and now I 
would like to tell you, and give you many details concerning the 
business prospects. Perhaps you may think I better wait a while, 
but my mind is so full of it .” 

“I will tell you what my last instruction from Mrs. Jenken is. 
She said it is not good for a woman of good society to be con- 
cerned a\)out her husband’s business. He must supply her with 
abundance of money and that is all.” 

“That perplexes me very much my dear. I was so glad to 
have you, with whom I could talk confidently upon matters, which 
intimately concerns us both. There i.s no one else to whom 1 
can freely open my mind and heart, but if etiquette and conven- 
tionality demand this sacrifice, I suppose we must submit to it.” 


— 29 — 


CHAPTER IV. 

Two weeks w’ere spent by the good man at his pleasant home 
when again he received a notice to go and see Mr. Sharpy. As 
usual he reached the place at the appointed hour. He saw the 
gentleman sitting in a comfortable easy chair, but he did not ap- 
pear comfortable. At the noise produced by his approaching 
steps, with a quick motion he sprang to his feet. 

“Ah! It is you John?” With a jesture indicating that he 
was glad he was mistaken, he took his seat a, gain. He w^aived his 
hand motioning him to take a seat, and then fell into an attitude 
of inner absorbtion, apparently forgetting John’s presence. Rais- 
ing his head abruptly, he asked in a husky voice; 

“Do you believe in presentiments?” 

John started from his seat. The question was so strange 
a,nd unexpected, that he had no time to formulate an answer. 

“It is immaterial whether you do or not,” he continued, “for 
a few days I have not felt like myself. Please listen carefully to 
what I say. I have not known you very long, but I am con- 
vinced that you are honest and upright, and I know I can trust 
you. I w^as senseless on my part, to do what I ha,v'e done, but 
I thought that through it I would succeed in stilling the unbear- 
able gnawing right here — pointing to his heart. It did for a 
while, but now, I am tired of it, tired unto death! I believe this 
change has been wrought by the actions of that brigand, Caspar 
Zucchi. He thinks I am completely under his thumb. He ha.s 
made himself so obnoxious lately, that if I could rid myself of 
him this instant, I would call myself fortunate. Never before 
has he shown his vile character. I grant that he is extremely 
clever, but he is a dangerous enemy.” 

“Will you allow me Mr. Sharpy, to ask you who is Mr. 
Zucchi?” 

“That is a very delica,te question, John, not a word has ever 
passed my lips since the fatal day that he proved my savior. He 
saved me, but appeared not in the right time to save my beloved 
wife. I could never speak a word, for it would awake a horrible 


— 30 — 


sensation within me.” For some time he closed his eyes and 
rema^ined silent. As if awakening from a disturbing dream, he 
said: 

“In one of our travels in the mountains. of Calabria, Italy, 
we were attacked by brigands. We had received ample warnings, 
but, my wife, young and high spirited, seemed possessed of a 
wild desire for adventure. Oh! Why is it that lately I am like 
one haunted with visions of that horrible tragedy!” (A shudder 
which shook him from head to foot, and a deep sigh, evidenced 
his great anguish.) “My relations with that man,” he continued, 
“are very strained. He imagines that I have trea,ted the pledge 
I gave him lightly, and I can see his thirst for revenge. That is 
part of their nature, they are — I mean the people of that part of 
the country — they are honorable and faithful, but if their suspic- 
ions are aroused, whether well founded or not, be on guard! 1 
feel an intense desire for a change, my inclination for this kind 
of life grows weaker every day. It weighs upon me like a crush- 
ing burden. You have a family, ability and ambition. I wish 
to transfer to you part of my carefully accumulated fortune, and 
you can continue to increase it at will, and nothing will be in 
your way to become one of our most successful business men.” 

John was amazed at the turn things were taking, and he hesi- 
tated to open his mouth. Mr. Sharpy took out of his pocket a 
key, and went into the library, and returning with a bulky docu- 
ment, handed it to John. 

“It has always been, as you a, re probably aware, my custom, 
to give my instructions in writing, and sometimes I think now, 
that a literary career might help to bring peace to my troubled 
heart. In a, short time you will carry through the business I en- 
trust to you, and no matter in what line of occupation I shall be 
engaged in the future, rely always upon my willingness to assist 
you in whatever I can.” 

“Mr. Sharpy,” said John, with a. tremor in his voice, “words 
fail me to express my gratitude.” 

“None are needed,” said Mr. Sharpy. “I hope you will bring 
me as favorable a report in this enterprise, as you have in the 
past. Goodby.” Rising from his seat he went back to the library. 
As John rose and looked at the tall figure, a peculiar sensation 
came over him, and a secret longing to remain as a protector to 
the man who had done so much for him. Slowly he took his be- 


-Si- 


longings and went his way. Hs. business engagements lasted 
about the time Mr. Sharpy had told him, and he felt extremely 
anxious to return to him. It was la,te in the evening when he 
came in sight of Mr. Sharpy’s residence, and what he saw, made 
him take a sudden halt. It was unusually lighted. There were 
men on horseback. From the glare of several torches and 
lanterns, he noticed some uniformed men, the whole scene looked 
so fa,ntastic that he felt like one nailed to the ground. “What 
does it mean?” he murmered to himself. 

“What an ugly gash across his throat,” said one man to an- 
other, as they hurriedly passed several yards from where John 
stood, behind some bushes. He made a powerful effort to run 
toward the men and enquire what ha*d happened, but he felt as if 
paralyzed. The shock had affected him very seriously, and when 
he recovered, there were only a few groups here and there dis- 
cussing the fearful event. More than once he was tempted to 
approach some one, but caution prevailed upon him to keep si- 
lent. He retired unobserved, and passed the night in one of the 
hotels. The whole night he kept awake, the burning desire to 
know what it all meant did not permit him to rest. The fear ot 
arousing suspicion through his perturbed manners counseled him 
to wait till he could read the deta^ils in the papers. The details 
were not very extensive. It was stated, that late in the after- 
noon of the previous day a peddler had stopped at the door of 
Mr. Sharpy’s residence, and had heard some distressing moans 
from the inside. He gave the alarm, the a^uthorities were noti- 
fied, and of course it took the needed time to investigate and the 
first living being they discovered was the old housekeeper, who, 
with both hands tied behind her back to one of the columns in 
the spacious corridor, and her mouth tightly gagged. She was 
quickly relieved, but for some time no information could be ob- 
tained from her, she was so completely prostrated. Next, they 
were going up stairs when they noticed a, great disorder in a room. 
They went into it. It was the library. Books were scattered 
all round. There was not a piece of furniture that bore not the 
mark of a tremendous struggle. Behind a heavy, high backed 
chair lay the lifeless body of Mr. Sharpy, his clothes all torn, his 
face bruised and his throat cut from ear to ear. Finally the old 
housekeeper was able to speak and the information she gave was 
that Gaspar Zucchi had come to see Mr. Sharpy that afternoon, 


— 32 — 


and while she was busy, two strangers ca^me into the room where 
she was, and ordered her not to leave the room, and they locked 
her in and left. She heard the angry voice of Mr. Sharpy fol- 
lowed by -a more angry one which she recognized as that ot 
Zucchi. The whole altercation seemed to have been brought on 
by the unwillingness of Mr. Sha,rpy to sign an agreement. The 
angry shouts grew more intense, and she could hear that they 
were fighting. Trembling for the safety of her master, through 
another door she came out of the room and ran down stairs. 
Then the two men caught her, and the cruel manner in which she 
was treated caused her to faint, a,nd when she recovered every- 
thing was as silent as usual, but she dreaded the worst, and in 
her helpless condition tried desperately to attract somebody’s at- 
tention. 

“This is horrible!” said John as he finished the reading, “and 
now the sa^fest course for me to take, is to leave as quietly as pos- 
sible, or I may become implicated in this nefarious crime.” 

When he reached home, his wife felt alarmed. The terrible 
shock caused such a deep mark of sorro^y and pain on his counte- 
nance. He thought it would be best not to tell her anything and 
his pretext for looking so bad, was tha,t he had been a little over- 
worked, but he would take the needed rest, and all would be right. 
He watched very close, but no vestige could be found — so the 
press reported — of the murderer and his accomplices. They had 
disappeared, and not the slightest trace of their whereabouts could 
be gained. Day after day John would retire into his well equipped 
library, exa, mining the documents handed to him by Mr. Sharpy 
at their last interview. He found himself a very rich man, with 
a splendid prospect in the future. He could hardly resist the de- 
sire to inform his wife about it, but etiquette, of course, and so 
he kept everything for himself. Weeks and months passed and 
the mystery remained as dense as ever. After having fully re- 
covered, he undertook the personal supervision of his extensive 
business. He began to be looked up to. He was sought after 
by the most prominent members of the chambers of commerce, 
manufacturers associations, etc. Mrs. Jenken felt proud, although 
her friends were far ahead of them in worldy possessions. She 
was now planning for a trip to Europe, that was all the rage 
now among the “upper ten.” Mrs. Palmey was delighted at the 


— 33 — 


idea to visit the old continent, but she would like to have Ernes- 
tine go with them. 

“So do I/’ said Mrs. Jenken. “I would like to have my 
daughters take that trip too, but think we will have to wait 
nea.rly a year, before they get through with their studies.” 

“Yes,” rei),lied Mrs. Palmey, “but you know how quick the 
time passes. Already one year since my daughter was pla^ced in 
that good school, and then you know it will require considerable 
time to prepare ourselves for that long voyage.” 

“We do not need to prepa.re so much,” said Mrs. Jenken. 
“We can have things made there, more stylish ajid nicer 
than here. Think of it! There are over forty million dolla^rs 
spent in Europe by Americans every year! A trip to Europe is 
always fashionable, because it is none but the better class that 
can indulge in those luxuries. If you think that we can wait, I 
will not insist any more.” 

Ernestine’s letters were always welcome. Her hand writing 
was beautiful, and the thoughts she expressed were sometimes so 
original, and although they conveyed deeper meanings than her 
parents could grasp, they were pleased that she was progressing 
so well, and her mother was building many a brillia,nt air castle 
concerning the future of her beautiful daughter. She was de- 
veloping into a handsome young woman. She was tall and well 
formed. Her face would have been a study for a philosopher. 
The inner working of her soul would be reflected upon it with a 
mirror-like fidelity. It had become a habit with her, when time 
permitted, to retire and meditate — as she would say — commune 
with her inner self. It was not clear to many of the young ladies 
how it was possible for any human being to commune in that 
manner, but they had a living example before them. When she 
would thus retire, she was often watched, and a real transforma- 
tion seemed to take place. Her countenance would asume an 
angelic expression, and none could approach her without feeling 
a powerful impulse to become better. She seemed to radiate the 
purest love a.nd happiness. Everybody loved and held her in the 
highest esteem, and she was true to every one. She was sweet 
and unaffected, quite a contrast with most of the other girls, 
whose tempers w'ere a,s mobile and changeable as they could be 
.made by affectation, and self will, and the pinning of their gixflish 


— 34 - 


happiness on externalities reaping thereby, flutter, excitment a,nd 
disapnoi ntment. 

Mr. Palmey was coining money. His wealth increased, and 
so did the people’s esteem and respect toward him, but he nad 
never forgotten his daughter’s sudden question: “Papa what is 
the meaning of sharp dealing?” He well remembered tha^t it 
had pierced his heart like a pointed arrow. His way of mone.N^ 
getting, although sanctioned by the world, looking at it from a 
true standpoint, was really nothing short of “sharp dealing” or 
robbing the producers of wealth! He almost drea,ded the day 
w^hen Ernestine would return home. He heartily approved Mrs. 
Jenken’s idea of taking a trip to Europe, as soon as the girls re- 
tired from the school. How swift the years had gone by! He 
had several times spoken to his wife of disposing of their plea^sant 
home and acquire one more in keeping with their prosperous 
condition. His wufe, after a consultation with her friend, assented 
very gladly, and she mentioned incidently that they had for some 
time been contemplating the purchase of a summer residence. 

“A delightful idea!” exclaimed Mr. Palmey. “I am in a posi- 
tion to gratify every wish. How true the adage that money 
is everything! If we cannot find what will suit us, we can have 
it constructed.” 

“One thing we must not forget,” said his wife, “that is, we 
must have ample grounds, for that is one of our daughter’s 
greatest delights.” 

For a moment Mr. Palmey knit his brows but then quickly 
said: 

“I am glad you reminded me of it.” 

“You have been so absorbed in your business, John, that dur- 
ing the nearly two years of the girl’s school time, you have never 
taken as much as the necessary time to pay her a visit. You 
won t recognize her, she is developing into a superb woman. By 
the way, I spoke to her about our prospective trip to Europe,' 
and you ought to see how happy she feels over it, but she says 
that after the trip she wants to return to school. She wants to 
acquire the highest grade of education, and .” / . 

The exultation that John felt hearing the news, caused him 
to interrupt her, “and I am so glad,” he said, “that .she shows 
that laudable ambition, and it shall be gratified.” 

Continuing, his wife said: “We may make enquiries in order 


— 35 -^ 


to locate her in one of the most select and best seminaries for 
young ladies. The principal of this institution tells me that she 
can excell in every branch she undertakes, and her greatest fond- 
ness leans toward a thorough knowledge of history, geography, 
mathematics, anatomy, psychology, music, painting and sculpture.^’ 

“Uh! Uh!*’ exclaimed John, with both hands raised above his 
head, “a genius! is she!'* 

“I thought myself, the professor exaggerated, but he spoke 
so earnestly. Now, think for one moment, had we remained 
poor would all those talents have ever been brought to the sur- 
face.” 

“Very, very true,” said John, “and the good Lord only knows, 
how much humaii talent is lost, simply for the lack of money!” 

“Did the coachman hand to you the invitation cards? I was 
so busy, could not see to it myself. There is to be a, great re- 
ception, and several foreign dignitaries will increase the honor 
of the fine gathering which is to be represented by the most elite 
society.” 

This news caused Mrs. Palmey's heart to throb with pleasure, 
mixed with apprehension. Would she be a,ble to make a credit- 
able appearance? 

“My dear,” said her husband, noticing her being disturbed, 
“there is no cause for disquieting your mind, express your wishes, 
and anything you need .” 

“I know,” she replied nervously, “but how can I know' what is 
required at such an occasion? We have a,s yet never appeared 
before a real aristocrat. Oh! but won't that be a great honor! 

T felt so envious yesterday when Mrs. L. said that her brother 
was going to Russia and that he would be presented to the Czar. 
Her niece, with great pride said: ‘Isn’t that an honor?’ I felt a 
little mortified for them when a lady visitor bluntly said: ‘No and 
I cannot understand how you free Americans are not ashamed 
to toa,dy to crowmed tyrants, who stand in the way of every ad- 
vance and human progress.’ Of course, her sayings were strongly 
disapproved. I tell you, dear John, we may yet be more favored. 
We hear so much as to how wealthy Americans are shown so 
much favor by the European nobility, and who knows, our ac- 
complished daughter 

Looking a,t the clock she said: “It is now time to prepare 
and dress for dinner. Have you invited any one?” 


— 3G— 


'‘No, but I should not be surprised if that agreeable individual 
should drop in. He is on a leisure trip, and I would be glad to 
see him. Do you remember him?’' 

“Yes,” replied Mrs. Palmey, “and I will go and get ready.” 

So the time passed on, and the closing days of the school ap- 
proached. Mrs. Jenken had decreed that the day when the young 
ladies came should be a gala day. By mutual agreement the re- 
ception in honor of the young students was to be held at the resi- 
dence of Mrs. Jenken. The happy day arrived, and with open 
arms they were received, the reunion was tender and touching. 
The two daughters were as brisk and lively as usual and Ernes- 
tine was as serene and calm as a stately fragrant flower. Her 
presence seemed to impart an intense but restful joy, and her 
father watched her with admiration and pride. After dainty 
refreshments, the guests were entertained in the most delightful 
manner. 

Before retiring the matter came up for discussion: Shall the 
young ladies take a, long rest or do they prefer to start soon for 
the long projected trip? The decision was unanimous not to de- 
lay. They were all in excellent health, and so the matter was 
settled. 

The Palmey family then went home. Ernestine was led to 
her elegant chamber. At the threshold she stopped, looked 
around, and seemed disturbed by conflicting emotions. 

“Do you like it dear?” her mother asked. 

“It is very sumptuous .” 

“If you knew the pains we have taken, child!” 

Ernestine had turned slowly and facing her mother said: 
“My dear mother! Father’s trouble of mind is too high a price 
for this. My senses are tempted by the appearance of so much 
beauty, but it does not fill the void in my heart. My former 
plain room, and at that time our hearts being filled with the 
■ aroma of unselfishness, trust and love ” 

“I declare, I do not understand you,” said her mother im- 
patiently. “If a plain room suits 7 /ou better, you will have it,” 
and retracing her steps, she left her. 

Through one of the open doors Ernestine walked to a balcony, 
the steps of which led into the garden. ' Inviting seats were 
scattered under the trees. She walked around and finally took 
a seat in a secluded nook. From that seat she had a full view of 


— 37 - 


the miniature park garden. The sun shone bright, and as she be- 
came absorbed in the contemplation of the loveliness of nature, 
she murmered: Years of worldly pleasures and gratifications 
cannot take the place of this exquisite peace and joy, which, in- 
deed passeth all understanding. Lifting her eyes to the blue 
arch above, with soulfelt accent, she repeated several times: 

The mysteries of nature, 

Ever new mysteries to man. 

Awake through correspondences 
That are so deep, though pla,in. 

But are we prompt and ready 
To recognize the source, 

Of such exalted ideals 
Tha,t will disclose to us 
The never ending glories 
That lift above earth’s dross? 

Mrs. Palmey grew very uneasy. She dreaded what might 
happen between father and daughter. She may convert him, and 
if he should go back to the old ways! Horrible! The quicker 
we leave, the better, and so the day of departure arrived faster 
than was expected. A hasty farwell was taken from relatives 
and friends, and the crossing of the ocean was very pleasant. 
Mrs. Jenken was ta,king her third trip. She felt perfectly at 
home, and made the rest feel the same. When they landed at 
the old continent, they went to the great French capital. After 
liaving secured a comfortable lodging in one of the most exclusive 
and elegant hotels, they were to take some rest prepara,tory to an 
extensive sight-seeing in the great world renowned capital. After 
quite a sojourn in Paris, Ernestine surprised the party by saying 
that she experienced such a complete home feeling in France, 
that if it were possible she would like to finish her studies in 
some good shcool in this remarkable nation. 

“That would not be a, difficult thing,” said Mrs. Jenken, who 
w'as always ready for any emergency. “It is. however, a known 
lact that under the auspices of the religious institutions the edu- 
calion of women has been kept at a low ebb, unless w’e should 
seek some secular institution, and I have heard of some excellent 




ones. But while we are to put in our time in seeing the sights, 
let us keep our minds free from ca^re.” 

With these few hints, they all gave themselves to a perfect 
relaxation until the day that was set for an excursion. Mrs. 
Jenken, who, in her former visits, had never had a chance to see 
Versailles, decided, and the rest consented to visit that city. The 
imrdense sums of capital expended by Louis XIII. and XIV. on the 
superb and magnificent structures, the highly elegant front of 
polished stone, the three grjeat avenues, by which it was ap- 
proached, the gardens filled with statues, partly antique and part- 
ly the work of new authors, everything excited their wonder. 

When returning to the capital, Mrs. Jenken remembered an- 
other of the most beautiful a^nd interesting sights, the cemetery 
of “Pere la Chaise.” The picturesque style in which it is laid 
out, and the costly monuments were greatly admired. When 
the Louvre was visited, the magnificent coup d^oeil formed by the 
gallery more than a quarter of a mile long, the walls entirely 
covered with artistic paintings, it took Ernestine’s breath. She 
went into ecsta,sy. The palace of the Luxembourg, the palais 
Bourbon, the rich decoraton of the ancent cathedral of Paris, 
Notre Dame, the brilliant points of view presented in the boule- 
yards, the gardens of the Tuilleries.and the enchanting spot called 
the Champs Elysees, Saint Cloud, Fontainbleau surrounded by 
an immense forest. Ernestine begged to remain much longer 
Her mind became filled with ideas of granduer, but Mrs. Jenken 
had all the plans arranged, and said: 

“We must now get ready to visit Italy.” 

“Italy!” cried Ernestine with joy, “that wonderous land of 
which I have read so much! Are we going to see Rome, that 
ancient city, which holds enshrined as it were, all the sublimest 
monuments of history and antiquity? Rome containing the most 
perfect works in architecture, painting and sculpture?” 

In time they did arrive in Italy. They were all delighted, 
but the sensitive girl Ernestine, felt like one transported into an- 
other world, so stupendeous and magnificent was what they be- 
held. In wandering through that marvelous city, she felt as did 
Gibbon “that the memory of those whose genius and power raised 
them above the rest of mankind, and of those whose slightest 
nod fixed the destinies of the world, were still hovering around 


— 39 — 


the ‘Eternal City/ ” and this time her entreaty to remain a lit- 
tle longer prevailed. 

“Do you know where we are going next?” asked one of the 
other girls. 

“Yes,” replied Erenstine, “to Switzerland, the pastoral 
country.” 

And so they did. The contrast was great, but pleasing. The 
great beauty and fertility of that land! “And Zurich, oh Zurich!” 
exclaimed Ernestine. 

The great fame it has acquired in science and literature, and 
this independent and liberty loving people. 

“My dear mother,” she said one day, “you know how famous 
is the Zurich University. Women from all parts of the world 
are admitted. I pray you mamma do not object to my becoming 
a student at the great University at Zurich!” 

Her mother was amused. At the same time she promised 
that she would write to papa, and if they obtained his consent, 
her desire would be granted. 

In due time Mr. Palmey’s answer came. His expression was, 
that if it suited his wife that their daughter should enter a uni- 
versity abroad, he would raise no objection, but they should care- 
fully ascertain, if what they proposed to do, would be the right 
thing. With the father’s consent, the mother was only too glad, 
and acquiring all the necessary information, she went straight to 
the institution, and strictly made every necessary arrangement 
for the schooling as well as the board. 

One of the countries, that Mrs. Jenken had on her list, which 
they were to visit, wa,s Spain, but they had tarried so long in 
other countries that the time was very near for the school to 
open, and although Ernestine had a great desire to see Spain, 
nothing could interfere to prevent her entering the school the- 
flrst day it opened. As her name was already registered, and she 
was to take a three year’s course in all the higher branches of 
education, she was taken to the boarding place, and she bade 
goodby to mother and friends. 

This step impressed her as a very important event in her life. 
She went to the room assigned to her. Everything in it was 
plain, but it was an inviting and homelike feeling she 
experienced. She sat near one of the windows and saw 
the beauties of the scenery, the mountains in the distance 


and the finely cultivated hills. Calm and peace seemed to 

pervade the whole. A gentle rustle below the window at- 
tracted her attention, and looking down into the 

garden she observed the form of a young lady, who was slowly 
walking past her windo’w. She held her hands clasped together 
and seemed so entirely absorbed in thought, as to appear un- 
conscious of her surroundings. Ernestine watched her closely, for 
her whole bearing revealed an uncommon human being. Deter- 
mination, strength, independence and with all, a gentle disposi- 
tion, was what the girl sensed from the appearance of that 
stranger. She disappeared in the winding paths of the large gar- 
den. 

One evening Ernestine was sitting at the same window lost 
in reverie, when her ears caught the sound of music on the piano- 
forte in the drawing room. The performer, whoever it was, was 
certainly a masterly player. The touch was exquisite, and the 
manner in which the tones blended thrilled her with a strange 
fascination. Mechanically she arose and walked toward the 
drawing room, when she saw the stranger whom she had seen in 
the garden. She stood like one entranced, her soul, so receptive and 
tender, felt as if she must float into the realm of harmony. As 
the sound of the last chords died away the stranger arose and 
turned toward a window. Her look lingered for a while upon the 
green hills, then her breast heaved with a long sigh, and passing her 
hand over her forehead, as if to gently change the current of 
thought, she moved toward the door. Ernestine, following a 
strong impulse, moved toward her, and with a voice still quiver- 
ing with emotion, which the entrancing music had evoked, said; 

“Pardon me miss, and allow a stranger whom the charm 
of your music has afforded so much genuine pleasure, to thank 
you.” 

The stranger bowed very courleously, and in a voice rich and 
melodious, said: 

“It gratifies my heart to think how sometimes unconsciously 
we may gladden each other’s lives, but it is my turn to thank you 
for the opportunity of exchanging a few words with you. I 
have longed to know you closer. It has reached my knowledge 
that you are a native from that great country— ^that land of 
freedom, the name of which thrills our souls. Unfortunately, 


-r-41— 


I cannot speak but with shame of my country! Russia might 
be great and happy, too, but — ” her head bowed, her eyes closdd 
and the repressed gestures spoke volumes. Recovering herself 
quickly, she said: “Pardon my weakness. Miss,” and taking 
a card out of a dainty card case she handed it to Ernestine, who 
also followed her example — “and, now Miss,” said the Russian 
young lady, “if you object not, we will have a little time before 
the call for dinner, and as it is so inviting in the garden, may we 
not go out?” 

Ernestine could not account to herself why she was drawn 
so strongly toward one who was a total stranger. Her eyes 
were fixed on the stately form, and when their eyes met it 
seemed to Ernestine that her soul was revealed to her; a soul 
pure and candid, responsive and tender, firm and strong in pur- 
pose. Miss Olga took her gently by the hand and slowly they 
went into the garden. They took a seat and sat silently; in the 
silence their minds and hearts seemed to blend in a more per- 
fect way than if they had spoken audibly. The sound of the 
dinner bell brought their attention to the material, everyday 
doings, and rising, they bent their steps to the dining room. 

“Will you do me the favor. Miss Palmey, to sit near me at 
the table?” 

“With the greatest pleasure,” Ernestine replied. 

When they were seated Miss Olga said: “From the time 
I heard that you came from America I was anxious to gain your 
friendship, and chance has favored us, so let us be thankful.” 

The tenderness contained in the look of the speaker was like 
a loving mother’s caress to the sensitive girl. After dinner the 
two young ladies spent the evening together. Miss Olga had 
invited Ernestine to her room, and listened with much atten- 
tion to all she said about her native country. 

“It is time now,” she said, “to retire,” and escorting her new 
friend to her room, they reluctantly separated for the night. 

Miss Olga, returning to her room, took the same seat she 
had occupied, and was soon absorbed in deep thinking. Half 
smiling and in a sjfl. tone, she spoke thus: 

“My dear brother, Ivanohe, who is so convinced that some people 
are endowed with the rare gifts of seeing beyond the veil, would 
certainly be pleased to know that this young American girl 


can demonstrate that great fact. That is the way she impresses 
me. I may be mistaken, but I shall test her before I mention 
anything to him. I have a fine photograph of him. I will place 
it where she can easily see it and await results.” 

For some days they saw little of each other, their time being 
so fully occupied, and as they were pursuing different studies, 
their class rooms were in different directions. One evening, soon 
after dinner, Ernestine knocked gently at Olga’s door and re- 
ceived from her a hearty welcome, she said: 

“I have some tasks that require my attention this evening, 
but I felt a sense of loneliness and I knew that even a few min- 
utes of your strengthening presence would dissipate the uncom- 
fortable sensation. But if I appear selfish and intrude upon 
you, give me the slightest hint and I shall immediately with- 
draw.” ■ 

“You sweet, dear one!” said Olga, clasping her in her arms, 
“I have been yearning for your dear presence, but I have been re- 
minding myself that we are at school and anxious to make a 
good start, or I would have sought, you long before this, I am 
grateful to you for the confidence you put in my poor presence, 
but if in reality I can add a little to your comfort, I am indeed 
very glad.” 

While they were talking they were slowly pacing the fioor, 
and twice they passed the place where Ivanohe’s picture was. 
As they passed by it again Ernestine stopped and gazed at it 
attentively, and asking permission, took it and sat at the table 
near the light. For several minutes she examined it, then closed 
her eyes, opened them and began to look into seeming vacancy, 
and then again at the picture. Olga’s attention was closely 
attracted. Ernestine made a slight effort and said: 

“This may amuse you, but to me it is full of mystery and 
awe. Do you wish me to tell you what the holding of this picture 
in my hand reveals to me?” 

“I am all attention,” eagerly answered Olga. 

“The child and boyhood of this young gentleman, whom, by 
the way, I recognize as your brother, have been marked as very 
much different from that of the average boy, so much so as to 
attract the attention of every one who knew him. He has al- 
ways demonstrated a stupendous mastery over self, and a most 


-- 48 - 


tender compassion toward the weak and erring. He always 
showed a warm affection toward his fellow beings, and was al- 
most worshipped in turn by every one. He always had a strong 
inclination to investigate, an insatiable desire for knowledge, 
and the realm of thoughts and ideas possessed more allurements 
for his vivid and active mind than all the superficial or material 
pleasures, and today he is a young man honored and admired. 
He is at the head of a great movement. What is it?” She gasped 
as if overpowered — “a movement which — my — mind — cannot 
grasp.” 

Olga watched her breathlessly. She saw her put the picture 
upon the table and then she exclaimed: 

“Every word, my dear, is true! Allow me to compliment 
you, it is certainly one of the rare gifts with which you are en- 
dowed!” , 

“My mother looks at it in a different way,” 
said Ernestine. “She does not approve it, and I 
often felt sorry, because it is so natural, and I 
do not doubt but everybody has the same endowments if they 
retire within themselves and listen more to the spiritual, than 
to the material sense, and if we do not, the words of the Master 
can be applied to us. You know when he said: ‘This people’s 
heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and 
their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see 
with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand 
with their hearts, and should be converted.’ I said it is so nat- 
ural, I cannot call it different. I will tell you a little experience 
I went through a short time ago. I was looking over the clothes 
that had been sent to me by the woman who does the washing. 
She was not present, but I saw her, saw the interior of her home 
and surroundings. Her appearance was one of care and worry, 
of struggle and unremitting toil. It affected me very much and 
I resolved to go to her house and see her. As I neared the place 
it looked familiar. I knocked at the door and there appeared 
the identical woman I had seen. She felt embarrassed at seeing a 
stranger, and so was I. The thought came to me that I had acted 
the part of an intruder and I had better find some excuse and 
retrace my steps, but her cordial manners and her politeness — 
by the way — I suppose you have also heard, as I did, how lady- 


like the Swiss women are, even among the humblest. Well, I 
accepted her cordial invitation to enter her house. Everything 
was clean and orderly. She answered all my questions with 
much patience, although I knew that her time was precious. I 
asked her if there was something that weighed heavily upon her 
mind. She said: ‘Yes, Miss, one of my sons met with an acci- 
dent a week ago. He was accidentally shot through his limb, 
which threatens to leave him a cripple, and oh. Miss, think of 
the sad future for a poor cripple.’ As she said the last 
words her lips quivered, and big tears rolled down her cheeks. 
Drying her tears she said: ‘It seems so unjust that poor people, 
after working so hard and unceasingly, cannot afford to give 
their children the training that would develop their talents. I 
believe that if Edgar had had what he has been craving for so 
long, this misfortune would not have overtaken him.’ ” 

“ ‘What was it he so much craved for?’ I asked.” 

“ ‘I will show you,’ she said, and she brought from another 
room a box which was full of what were intended to be musical 
instruments. ‘You see,’ she continued, ‘we could not afford to 
buy him an instrument, and these are the attempts he has been 
making to extract some sounds to satisfy his musical-hungry 
heart.’ I felt at that instant that whatever could be done for 
him would be a lasting benefit for him and others,, and while 
thinking I heard the thump of crutches on the floor, and the 
young cripple entered the room and bowing respectfully, he took 
a seat, laying the crutches on the floor, folding his hands and 
turned his large, intelligent eyes toward me. 

” ‘Do you like music, Edgar?’ I asked him. 

‘‘ ‘I love it, madame,’ he replied. 

“ ‘Would you like to devote your time to it if you were given 
a chance to study it?’ 

“ ‘Oh, yes! but that happiness will never be mine. We are 
too poor.’ 

“His hands clasped tighter and looking silently at his 
crutches, he took a handkerchief out of his pocket. Then, as if 
ashamed of his weakness, he turned his head to me and without lift- 
ing his moist eyes, said in a SAveet, resign3d voice : ‘Pardon me, mad- 
ame,’ and taking his crutches he went out of the room. His 
mother looked tenderly after him, her lips whispering, ‘My poor 


— 45 * 


boy!’ I bad my plan formulated, but would they accept it? At 
all hazards I would make the attempt. I told her how the poor 
boy’s misfortune had affected me, and having the necessary 
means it would afford me great pleasure to assist him in ac- 
quiring a musical education. The m.other’s face lighted up for 
a moment, but quickly a sad expression followed. 

‘At the first thoughts of your generous proposition, madame, 
my heart leaped with joy, but the afterthoughts are bitter. 
Having no means to return to you what you so very kindly pro- 
pose to do for us, you must allow me to decline.’ , 

“ ‘My dear madame,’ I said, ‘do not act unjustly toward the 
child. The world may be blessed a hundredfold for what little 
is done for him’ 

“Covering her face with her hands she sobbed, and with a 
faltering voice said: ‘Heaven alone can remunerate such a 
noble and generous act, be it as you have said.’ 

“And now I have that boy in my care. I have made every 
arrangement with an excellent teacher and I feel sure the young 
fellow will some day becom^e a star in the musical world. While 
the mother of my young protege complained bitterly of the lot 
of the poor, the inner voice seemed to assume a stronger mean- 
ing than ever. Oh, yes! The poor are the victims of injustice! 
Victims of sharp dealings!” 

“My friend,” exclaimed Olga, rising to her feet and looking 
as if overpowered with amazement and surprise, “you have 
sounded the keynote! Your childlike and innocent heart has re- 
ceived the heavenly message! Victims of sharp dealings, oh yes! 
dealings which, to the utter shame of every human heart, 
have been sanctioned by state, church and society; dealings 
which have prevented the verification of the promise, the com- 
ing of the kingdom of heaven on earth! Dealings which have 
well nigh dried the fountain of Divine Love in the human 
breasts, and substituted distrust, hatred and cruelty in its stead! 
Dealings which create cunning and hypocrisy toward the un- 
suspecting millions and makes them unconsciously bend their 
necks to degrading yokes which brings them to the level of 
brutes. To arouse the world and bring it to see the madness 
of the present dealings of men with men, and induce it to rise 
to a higher comprehension of the sacred mission of life; the 


— 46 — 

great movement which you have perceived with your inner sight, 
and saw my brother at the head of it, has been organized. It 
is a movement of a great magnitude in which the ablest minds 
in the civilized world are constantly at work.” 

Olga had spoken in tones so earnest and impressive that 
Ernestine, with a solemn expression in her countenance, said: 

“Oh! let us pray unceasingly that the protection of the Al- 
mighty surround the lives of the magnificent souls who conduct 
a movement so stupendous! A Reconstructive Movement! Am 
I correct?” 

“Yes indeed! And with my heart and soul, I say amen!” 
replied Olga, “and now, dear friend, let us glance at the time 
piece and remembering our tasks we will unceremoniously dis- 
miss these interesting subjects and arrange for other pleasant 
meetings of this kind.” , 

“A week ago a prominent Russian resident sent me an invita- 
tion to an exclusive reception. I feel no inclination to accept. 
A few hours spent with you, and discussing subjects so dear to 
my heart, contain more genuine pleasure than all conventional 
artif . ^^atherings of that exclusive kind leave a taint which 
I preft > be free from. When we allow ourselves to think that 
we are the very cream of society, we simply lower ourselves, 
in my estimation. So, now good night,” and pressing her hand 
affectionately they parted. 



- 47 — 


CHAPTER V. 

Olga did not retire. She wrote a long letter, and folding it 
slowly, she smiled and whispered: 

‘T can imagine the pleasant surprise which this letter will 
cause you, my dear brother. I ought to have received news 
from you before this, and I may hear from you tomorrow.” 

Replacing everything she retired. As she had expected, next day 
she received a letter, a book and several papers from her brother. 
He informed her how he was taking a tour through Denmark, 
and would remain long enough to obtain a clear understanding 
of the social, economic, political and religious conditions of the 
• people. He had obtained this by strictly investigating ii other 
countries; his co-workers were doing the same thing, and at the 
end of their tour they would compare notes. He fc » nany 
favorable and encouraging indications, oueMf +hpra is . ’ neral 

dissatisfaction with existing conditions. It is the heaiux^y sign 
of nature’s attempt to shake off the torpor of centuries. There 
is no time to waste, for the result of the awakening will, if the 
people are on guard, be glorious! If not, dreadfully destructive. 

The letter was filled with the strongest sentiments, and Olga 
rejoiced at the thought of handing it to Ernestine. She knew 
already that these ideas were taking a deep root in the young 
girl’s heart. They were both diligent scholars, and they would 
on no account neglect their duties, but when the appointed even- 
ing came, they were so glad. 

After some introductory remarks, Olga placed her brother’s 
letter in Ernestine’s hand. She read it very carefully and after 
having finished it, she said with an impetus which was entirely 
new in her: 

“That is exactly the career in life that I will follow. Oh, 
how full of noble thoughts and deeds such a life must be! How 
high and how good your brother’s principles are! How deficient- 
ly equipped I am, though, for such a work! But I shall try and 
improve myself and it shall not be through any fault of mine 


— 48 — 


if I fail to acquire the necessary knowledge which will fit me for 
an active worker in a movement so nohle and so necessary. Are 
women admitted?” 

“Yes.” said Olga, “and what is encouraging is their firm con- 
viction that only through woman’s intelligent, intuitive and un- 
selfish assistance will this great reformation succeed.” 

“I can see that your brother is a deep student. No wonder 
that men and women who devote their lives to investigations of 
that kind become masters of self and are not swayed by the 
glittering superficialities which leave the mind arid and empty. 
Life, viewed and practiced from that point, is rounded out and 
completed, it becomes useful, happy and perfect. I think these 
ideas furnish me some glimpses of what the world might be if 
we were trained in the true direction, if our complex natures 
were thoroughly understood.” 

“Good, my sweet friend! The seed is falling on good ground, 
and an abundant harvest will he gathered in due time. Now 
that your heart is aglow with these grand ideas, you will forgive 
me if without asking your permission I have informed my brother 
of the 1'’^ re treasure lhat good fortune led into my path. He 
like myse^i, is a great admirer of your country, and our plans are, 
that after I get through with my studies we will take an exten- 
sive tour through America, where, we are informed, exists more 
than in any other country, a spirit of reform so powerful and 
solidly organized, that it has always strongly stimulated our 
highest hopes.” 

“I cannot understand,” said Ernestine, “how it is that I never 
heard anything of the kind while at home. Nothing is mentioned 
in the letters I receive from mother. All seems to be gaiety — 

time is flittered away in a round of frivolities, but no wait 

here I have something that perhaps shows what is under the 

gilded surface, and maybe that is what arouses the spirit of re- 
form. My mother writes that she had prepared a package of 
newspapers where the brilliant receptions, the costly decorations 
and the elegant costumes were reported in such a glowing style 
that she thought it would stimulate my ambition, for my family 
were included in the list, when, who should appear and object 
to it but that ‘busy body,’ Mrs. Jenken, as mamma calls her 
now, and she is getting tired of her. Well, you see, the excuse 


for her objection was, that the papers contained an unusual 
number of cases of suicides, murders, several cases of actual 
starvation — is it not horrible? — glaring accounts of indiscreet 
actions on the part of couples in the upper set of society, liti- 
gations in court over the ‘wills’ of deceased prominent million- 
aires, big strikes of working people, accounts of thousands of 
children without the necessary food and clothing. I think it 
rather strange that my mother wrote to me what Mrs. Jenken 
said. She thought that the editors had racked up all the dirt 
and filth and then thrown it before the gaping public, and spoiled 
everything by producing such an abominable contrast. ‘Your 
daughter,’ she said, ‘having such an eccentric disposition, I 
would send her light literature, or simply clip out what you 
want her to see and she may safely show to others.’ I am 
rather surprised that my mother paid no attention, or perhaps 
she did not care to open the package or she may have thought 
that it might pass unnoticed by me.” 

“That may be,” said Olga, “and no wonder that a great 
reform is going on in that land, and does it not plainly show 
that the duty of every true reformer is not to see only the coun- 
try in which they happen to be born, and not to limit their work 
for the betterment of the people in what they love to call their 
native land? Wherever men and women have learned sufficiently 
to understand that humanity is a great ‘Unity,’ that no boundary 
of sea or mountains break the tie that binds the whole human 
family, they will be willing to obey the divine command of ‘love 
one another’ and then it will become a living force which will 
lead all to the realization of the grand possibilities, if the higher 
faculties instead of the low instincts rule our lives. 

“The next time we meet I hope I shall hear again from my 
brother; till then, goodbye,” and both retired. 

While the daughter in far off Switzerland was faithfully pur- 
suing her studies and unconsciously imbuing the principles of the 
Reconstructive Movement, her father’s whole mind was strained 
and turned into the one channel, that of money-making. His 
great success was lauded sky-high. He was admired and flat- 
tered, which proved a potent stimulant to induce him to turn 
more and more thousands into his coffers. He occasionally in- 
quired after his absent daughter, when something better seemed 


■ 50 — 


to come to the surface, but it would annoy him and he would 
quickly dismiss it. His wife occupied a very prominent position 
in society. She surpassed Mrs. Jenken’s expectations. Mrs. 
Jenken’s daughters were bright and gay. Like butterflies they 
sipped the pleasures of life without any serious thoughts ever 
entering their heads. They had tried to keep up a correspond- 
ence with Ernestine, but she was too sober to suit their gay 
dispositions, and when they enquired after her, once in a great 
while, they thought they had discharged their duty. 

“The absurd idea of burying herself in that mountainous 
nest in Switzerland and forsaking the grand opportunities for 
the enjoyment of a wealthy girl’s life. A beautiful girl as she 
was, it would not be surprising if after her silly ideas were sat- 
isfied, she should return faded and repulsive and assuming, per- 
haps, to be received into the favored circles, which she should 
have ornamented with her presence in the right time.” This 
was usually the trend of thoughts and words which Ernestine’s 
name and occupation called forth by her friends. 

One day Olga was coming down-stairs with an arm full of 
books on her way to the college, when she saw her friend. She 
motioned to her and said: “Good news; come at the appointed 
time as early as you can.” 

Two days later, and the two young friends were together. 
Papers, manuscripts and books were strewn around them. Er- 
nestine sat close by Olga and began to read her brother’s letter. 
He acknowledged the receipt of his sister’s letter and congrat- 
ulated her for the good fortune of having met such a good young 
woman. 

“They are rare,” he said, “the wrong environments and 
conditions have degenerated Avomen, and through them the 
whole race. The present conditions are such that the evil ten- 
dencies in mankind are bound to predominate, and then, there 
will be another fearful backward step in this defective 
civilization.” 

Ernestine stopped reading for a moment and the look which 
always preceded the appearance of her peculiar visions was 
plainly to be seen in her face. 

“I see a picture before me,” she said, “which I would prefer 
not to look upon.” 


— 51 — 


“It may have some purpose, dear,” said Olga, softly. 

“The taints of crime seem to be spreading. Its influence is 
deadly. There is a rush, oh, s*uch a rush! Oh, the lack of rest 

and peace! Fear is a predominant factor. It acts like a cor- 

roding, disintegrating force, and it permeates the whole social 
structure. Fear appears in every shape and form, and in its 
wake follows anxiety, envy, jealousy, greed, and all the vilest 
passions. Oh, it is sickening. It chills one’s soul with a chill of 
despair. Oh, God! Is there no ray of hope? Oh, it 
is fading away, thank heaven! Another picture appears. 

Exhaustion and death. Is this the terrible meaning? 

No! Hearken there are signs of a convulsive reaction. Oh, 

the comforting scene! Among the gray and black hue of the 
entire surroundings, there appear flashes of light. Beings in 
whose countenances love and compassion radiate and flow like 
an irresistible uplifting power. They are using their whole en- 
ergy to reach and save the apparently doomed race! This one 
also disappears, and there, slowly and majestically, unfolds an- 
other view. Oh, the number of altars, the solemnity which per- 
vades the whole! The happy and contented faces of the people! 
Several are approaching one of the altars. Now they are stand- 
ing still, a voice with a sound of tender pathos says: ‘What is 
required of each and all who earnestly desire to see the promise 
fulfilled that the kingdom of heaven come upon earth, is the sin- 
cere willingness to subdqe the animal nature which has so long 
predominate! and turned this beautiful planet into a hell! 

“ ‘The altars are a symbol to remind us not to worship a 
far away God, but to burn everything which obscures the divine 
and mighty power in our true selves, and then will God be made 
manifest, for man is made in the image and likeness of God! 
Nothing short of this can bring peace and good will! 

“ ‘Our willingness to abandon the evil ways entitle us to 
be counted among the rescued, and surrounded as we shall be 
with everything that will nourish and strengthen our good re- 
solves, we will become able to support and assist each other. The 
destructive instincts which have set man against man and de- 
stroyed the world’s true happiness, will find no abiding place. 
Invoking upon everybody’s good resolves the blessings of the 
ever present, Infinite Intelligence, Liove and Wisdom, we shall 


— C2— 


constantly feel the power that shall lead us onward and up- 
ward!’ 

“Oh, the sweet, entrancing, heavenly picture! It Is fading 
away,” whispex 1 Ernestine, and looking at her friend, she was 
still in the same attitude listening with rapt attention. 

“I take this,” Olga said, “as a good omen for those engaged 
in this great work, and how promising the results! I must write 
this to my brother. He will understand the full meaning. Noth- 
ing escapes his acute observation, and he can interpret many 
seeming mysteries. Now, please go on with the reading. I will 
go over the manuscripts which I have not had time to examine.” 

After Ernestine got through she folded the letter, handed it 
to Olga and with a tinge of good natured reproach she said: 

“Your intention was very good, but you put me in an embar- 
rassing position. The description which you gave to your brother 
concerning my personality must have given him an incorrect 
idea of your American friend. He asks for the favor of a direct 
correspondence with him, what do you think?” 

“If he were like the ordinary young man of the world I 
would caution you against opening such a correspondence, but 
in this case nothing but good can result from it. Here is another 
letter which is very interesting.” Ernestine took it and Olga 
said: “Please read it aloud, I would like to hear it again.” 

“I will: ‘Events transpire, and strange and unexpected 
things may happen when least looked for. When we arrived 
on the train at a frontier town between France and Belgium, 
we stopped, strolled around town and entered a cafe. The place 
was large and well kept, we were taking our coffee and observhig 
the large number of people coming and going, when two gentle- 
men entered and attracted our special attention. To the ordi- 
nary observer there was nothing about them to indicate that 
they were anything but men of the world, who would feel at 
home anywhere. But my companion and myself soon became 
aware of the subtle manner with whch they examined every one 
present. They selected a table not far from where we sat. After 
they vrere seated it was plain to us that their intention was to 
convey the idea that they were unconcerned. They took another 
survey and finally seemed satisfied that no one’s attention was 
fixed on them. They also ordered coffee. At first their conver- 


— 58 — 


s.j ; n was very indistinct, as they were speaking very low. We 
V-* ve talking in French about irrelevant matters and the rest 
mose present were conversing in the same lUxiguage, which 
fact seemed to put them more at ease, and soon they began to 
speal, a little more audible so that we discovered that they were 
spe : ' ing Italian, but speaking that language rather imperfectly, 
V . . jncluded they were not Italians. We began to feel inter- 
ested, noticing that they were also concerned about economic 
and social matters, and throwing aside prudence and caution, 
we made up our minds to find out who they were. Rising and 
stepping near them, and politely bowing, we asked their pardon 
for intruding, at the same time addressing them in the language 
they were speaking. Their cold reception was not very pleasant, 
and only after reading our cards did they assume a more cordial 
attitude. But as soon as we realized our mistake we again apolo- 
gized, saying that the mistaken idea that they were interested 
in the great cause that we also were, had induced us to over- 
step the bounds of etiquette. A keen, inspecting glance seemed 
to ask, can you give us some recognition sign? We understood 
and said: ‘Our work is not so rigorously secret. We think, and 
hope, the time has passed for the necessity of precautions so 
very severe. We are working for the reconstruction of the social 
system and we are obtaining a phenomenal number of converts. 
‘We will return confidence for confidence,’ said one of them, 
‘by telling you that we are engaged in a diametrically opposed 
line of work. We have heard a great deal in regard to the 
Brotherhood of Reconstruction, and you certainly must have 
heard about the Brotherhood of Destruction. As a warning, 
allow me to say that you are illuding yourselves. It is too late, 
no alternative is left but a total clearing of the dark and deadly 
incumbrances which fill the earth. We have gone through the 
most careful and conscientious investigation of your ideas and 
methods for the redress of the dreadful wrongs which threaten 
to plunge the human race back into the medieval conditions, 
but from our standpoint they appear childish, and what Is 
worse, you are wasting an enormous amount of energy which, 
in consideration of the urgent necessity of concentrating forces, 
is simply reckless. Can you cite an instance in the history of 
the world when the oppressed victims could obtain even the 


— 54 — 


least recognition of their rights except through the power of 
destruction? Do you not see the detestable fact that for cen- 
turies and centuries a small minority has always subjugated 
the great majority, and with violence and arrogance as if they 
were made of superior clay, they have rendered the great ma- 
jority of their fellow-beings helpless, usurping their natural 
rights, and with unheardof cruelty ever forbidden their just 
complaints? Has not their tyranny increased with every demand— 
every just demand — of the suffering people? And as a rule the great 
majority have been satisfied with only a small por- 

tion of what rightfully belonged to them, and that has 
caused them to lose sight of their power, and their enemies 
have succeeded in bringing them again into bondage. 
In this time, in this generation, our Destructive Movement 
is determined not to allow history to repeat itself. There is one 
land on this globe that in our fond hopes we regarded as the 
lumdnous star pointing the way out of darkness into light, out 
of bondage into freedom, but what is the news that reaches us 
from the land! Read only a part of the news and your eyes will 
be opened, and you will see that the repetition of history has 
already passed its incipient stages. Read the news and think 
of that guiding star, its capital city, to which the whole people 
have the right to look for simplicity, for a good example. The 
father of that great country, whom we all love and venerate, was 
satisfied with meals on toast and tea, and Martha herself toasted 
the bread, while the guests waited! Think of that capital city 
where today, according to the news, fortunes are squandered. 
Every year, we hear, society grows more extravagant, and some 
of the dinners at the capital could not be more expensive if their 
pepper and salt were grains of gold! Think of the wives of the 
people’s representatives wearing ornaments, the diamonds which 
once belonged to Queen Isabella. Others wearing the jewels 
which once belonged to Cardinal Mazarin! Would not the mod- 
> ern extravagance sicken if not frighten the founders of the 
mightiest repubic on earth? Would they not blush with shame 
and condemn the present conditions? Would they not quickly 
realize that there is something radically wrong, or the natural 
wealth the nation would be more equitably dstributed? Can 
any snglc man or woman live extravagantly except at the ex- 


— 55 — 


pense of the many? Ill paid labor bears the crushing burden, 
which enables the unworthy representatives of the plain and 
liberty-loving people to ape after the English snobbery — European 
aristocratic destructive costumes! Nothing is to be expected 
from those who have turned their backs upon the principles 
which their forefathers venerated and held sacred. Do not for 
a moment expect to move the hearts of the men and women 
whose sole aim in life is self-gratification. Self-gratification is 
the pabulum upon which oppression thrives, and it yields only 
after having been destroyed, root and branch. Therefore, I 
say, if you are really reformers, join our Destructive Movement, 
or you will see history repeat itself!” 

“We listened and waited patiently. The speaker’s face was 
fiushed and a fierce light shone out of his dark eyes. 

“ ‘We admire your zeal,’ I said. ‘The same righteous indig- 
nation and loss of faith in the possibility of human regeneration, 
had darkened many years of our lives, and only accidentally, or, 
providentially, has our course been changed. This may again 
seem childish to you. As long as our minds and hearts were al- 
lowed to only see and brood over what you said, and what the 
papers described, we felt as the Destructive workers do, that is, 
to become the bloody avengers of the acts so base and inhuman, 
but the great question arose: If the lower propensities in the 
great masses are aroused to the highest pitch, hatred, rage, 
bloodshed, devastation and ruin, what will they gain? Think for 
a moment what the dreadful results will be! In our long and 
impartial study of social economic and political science, we have 
reached a firm conviction that the present system is no longer 
fit for an age like this when wonderfully useful discoveries are 
made, and they ought to be used for the benefit of all the human 
family. The main object favored by the Reconstructive Move- 
ment is to bring the people to realize; to become fully conscious 
of their power, and direct them to use it wisely and right. The 
present state of unrest and inquiry offers an excellent oppor- 
tunity to present the best ideas. It would be fatal to suggest to 
the people to destroy instead of to reconstruct. 

“ ‘The spirit of investigation and study, even along the lines 
of religion, is very important. The occult sciences are revealing 
to the world the most precious sides of man’s true being, and 


— 66 — 


when that knowledge is gained, the heart becomes free from 
worldly, empty ambitions, and in its place enters Divine love, 
and the higher ideals of obeying the precepts of loving and serv- 
ing one another.’ 

“ ‘Several times while I was speaking I noticed repressed 
signs of disapproval on the part of the listeners, and like a sud- 
den eruption no longer to be restrained, the former speaker 
burst out: 

“ ‘Century after century have these doctrines been taught, 
and what do we hear from every part of the world? Do we not 
hear that it is growing worse and worse! The least you speak 
of that so-called religion, and the least you look to it for help, 
the sooner will the people acquire the strength to remove, to 
destroy the curse of capitalism! Listen to reason, and join our 
movement, our destructive work will be terrible, but swift, and 
after the clang and horror the ground will be clear and then, 
but not before, can the Reconstruction Movement start its work. 
Some one who saw it as clearly as we do has said: “Into the 
night of death rides the nineteenth century, and into the morn- 
ing of life rides the twentieth.” Think of that land toward which 
every oppressed being turns and tell me how the poor are treated. 
Read the court records where in one of the cities there were is- 
sued in one year 23,895 warrants for eviction of tenants. Read 
the papers and you will not be surprised if the poor are driven to 
the brink of despair, and no wonder the questions arise. 

“ ‘Why have the people’s conditions not improved in a coun- 
try blessed with such illimitable resources? Do you see where 
the people of that great nation are drifting? I repeat that noth- 
ing short of our methods will insure a return to sound princi- 
ples. This is called a Chrstian civilization, but neither its char- 
acter nor its influence is Christian.’ 

“ ‘But, my dear sir,’ I said, ‘we agree with you in all except 
in the remedies you intend to apply. Seeing that the discords of 
humanity in their different relations are the direct result of 
disorder in man’s relation to creation and the Creator. Sound 
and correct teachings will prove more powerful in destroying 
errors and establishing good will than wholesale destruction ac- 
cording to your views. We cannot expect to convert you. Your 


— 57 — 


motives, no doubt, are honest, and if we cannot agree, let us be 
at least friends. We hope we may meet you again.^ 

“ ‘We all arose, and after hearty handshaking we separated 
to continue our journey.’ ” 

“This is a long letter,” said Olga. “I would like to say some- 
thing but it is late, so let us retire my dear.” 

Ernestine did what Olga requested. She went to rest, but '^or 
some time she could not sleep, her mind was pondering very 
hard as to what the outcome would be, “but, happen what will,” 
she would repeat to herself, “as soon as I shall be mistress of 
my own acting I shall enter into the Reconstructive Movement. 
I have a strong faith in the power of good, and in spite of this 
dark and evil condition, better days are coming.” 

Nearly three weeks later Olga received another letter from 
her brother. He said that one of the parties he had met and 
with whom he had had that long conversation had made up his 
mind to leave no stone unturned to bring him into their reform 
rank because he fully realized what a great help it would be, and he 
sent him the enclosed lengthy but interesting epistle: 
“I send it to you. Let your friend read it. I know 
it is nothing new to you, but you know how great 
a trust I put in your co-operation. I shall keep you 
posted on everything. I have not yet been honored with a 
letter from your friend. Do not press her, she is one of us al- 
ready. Her good and lofty nature could not lead her into an- 
other camp. Some of these ideas may seem enigmatic to your 
friend, having had the good fortune to be born in a free country 
where thought, conscience, speech and press are not muzzled.” 

In that “epistle” Olga read several times some of the 
most striking passages. They were so forceful, and to her mind 
so true. “If we can only succeed in removing the grasping, the 
paralizing hands — the invading, grinding heels of those two mon- 
sters, those relics of barbarism — the church and state — from the 
people, who could assign any limits to human noble advancement! 
Think of the value of the corporations called the Christian 
church in Italy. It has waxed so fat in wordly goods, while at 
the doors of its magnificent buildings human beings in rags and 
filth beg for a crust of bread! How true the assertion that a 
corporation, whether religious or secular, has no soul! The 


— 58 — 


enemies of the world’s advancement, needed for the accom- 
plishment of their work a powerful tool, yes, and they found it. 
Something had to be created upon which was to depend the 
very life of the human race, and that powerful tool was what? 
“Money.” Next, a latent force had to be used through and by 
which the race must be kept in ignorance and thereby submis- 
sive, and that power they discovered in women! The arbitrary 
dogmatism by which women have been defrauded of their natural 
and indispensable rights by church and state, has kept and keeps 
the world in this low and degraded condition, which has pol- 
luted and pollutes the whole so-called civilization. Church 
and state have enforced the dogma of woman’s inferiority, and 
led men to believe that they are the lords, and women nothing 
but tools for their comfort and their submissive slaves, — and we 
say — destroy such a damnable theory! Destruction is our mot- 
to! Everything that obstructs the path to human progress and 
happiness, we say, down with it! Every advancement in science, 
every improvement in literature, art, and every useful discovery 
in nature must be applied for the good of all. We consider it 
our duty first and last, to break every chain, and until that is 
done it is impossible to obtain the high degree of moral health 
and strength which alone can bless the world with the perfect 
social happiness. The mission of our brotherhood is to cleanse 
this world of poverty, misery, disease and degradation. The 
knotty social problems must be solved. We also hear of the 
bitter complaints of the free Americans against the cruel oppres- 
sions of capitalism combined into syndicates, trusts and corpo- 
rations. Join our movement, my dear friend. The time is pre- 
cious. Do not waste it, or sooner than you expect it your efforts 
will be dwarfed. Your Reconstructive work goes too slow, and 
if you build upon the old rotten foundation, your labor will not 
only be fruitless, but the enemies we both are attacking will 
increase their death-dealing power and the last ray of hope will 
disappear. It will disappear fis sure as you breathe. You cer- 
tainly know human nature as well as we do. You know how the 
masses in any country, if allowed to settle down in a state of 
indifference after having struggled unsuccessfully for some time, 
they fall into a state of inertia which has always been the reformer’s 
despair, for what an easy prey they become to the cruel oppres- 


— 59 — 


sors! I must mention again what I have heard from the country 
we always held as our ideal. Limitless wealth has started a 
demoralizing work. Oh, my friend! do not refuse to see the vis- 
ible signs of degeneracy and decadence. Give a thought to the 
lives of the numberless martyrs, their sacrifices on the altars of 
humanity. Let us not be among the reckless, ungrateful 
wretches whose souls cannot understand the sublime inspirations 
of the reformers which every country has produced! We hear 
of brute force pitted against justice and intelligence. We hear 
that capitalism has already made destroying inroads into the 
families of the working people, ‘the only ones who do produce 
the wealth.’ Mothers and children are taken from their homes 
and through want, forced into factories to overwork and be un- 
derpaid! Can you see how anything good, really good, can 
come out from this competitive system? We can see nothing but 
evil, and we are bound to destroy it! Can you not understand 
that when all the evils produced by this diabolical system are 
completely swept away a new, a perfect one will appear? When 
the fashionable ‘Four Hundred,’ who are the ones who create 
envy and jealousy, not because they are morally and intellectual- 
ly superior, but because they live an idle life and carry on a wild 
chase for the acquisition of wealth; compelling their 
fellow beings to produce their wealth, will disappear, 
think what a great obstacle to human progress will 
be removed! Remember what the great teacher, the seer 
and sage, Emanuel Swedenborg, taught, ‘That happiness 
in no case consists in being idle, for thus everyone would be de- 
sirous to possess the happiness of others for himself, and as 
every one would be desirous in that way, no one would possess 
happiness. Such a life would not be active but indolent, and in 
it the faculties would become torpid. Hence, without an active 
life, there would be no stable enjoyment, and all rest from work 
is only for the sake of recreation, in order to enable a return 
to it with greater alacrity.’ So you see what we are working 
for is to destroy the system which creates the two extremes, 
the idle and the overworked classes, and under our new system 
everyone — men and women — not little children — will be given 
the best chance to choose the employment for which they are 
according to their talents and faculties, best and naturally 


— 00 — 


adapted. You know the terrific war that exists between employ- 
ers and workers, and we know how very necessary it is to bring 
the women on our side, because, how often do we hear that the 
wealthy do not know, or else are cruelly indifferent, how the 
poor live, and who is most to blame? We say, women! Their 
hearts cannot be touched; and what makes them so hard heart- 
ed? The present system! If this were not the case could they 
remain indifferent when they know and hear how the toilers are 
too often treated like dumb animals, overtaxed, brow-beaten and 
overworked without consideration, and consequently manliness 
is cruelly beaten out of man? Our new system will make it 
possible by its improvements of human environments, to influ- 
ence the great mass of mankind to have a deeper liking and apti- 
tude for literary and artistic pursuits, and cultivate taste and 
intelligence that will make it wiser and nobler, and thereby 
become valuable members of the community, making life really 
useful and radiating true and permanent happiness all around. 
Yours in the struggle for a true and higher civilization. — N, N.” 

Olga arose, drew a long breath, and whispered: “Had my 
brother and I not posted ourselves and were we not standing on 
a firm rock, I must own that the earnest expressions of che writer 
are contagious. His perceptions and his diagnosis are correct 
beyond dispute. Their methods are the only obstacle in the 7/ay 
between us. Will it be wise to let Ernestine read this? May it 
not kindle in her a strong desire for immediate action, a;>d up- 
set her parents’ plan? Ivanohe would like to have her read it, 
but if he knew how these questions impress her he would per- 
haps feel as I do. Ah, there is a piece of paper I had not no- 
ticed.” Taking it up and unfolding it. she read: “A few com- 
ments.” 

“Well, I declare!” she said, “this must be as interesting if 
not more so, than what I have just read. My good brother main- 
tains his promise to keep me posted on everything. I must read 
it, no matter how late it is.” 

“Dear sister: I have read copies of the paper entitled 
‘The Truth Seeker.’ It is very radical and very incisive in its 
style, a kind of literature to awaken the hearts of the just and 
well intentioned people; a full fledged iconoclast, it briiigeth into 
a glaring light the loathsome ulcers of the present social organ- 


— 61 — 


ism. Our new friend, whose name is Krakenlausky, is a student 
who has been investigating pretty deeply into all the problems 
of the day. Every monarchy, he states, and we know he is right, 
has been founded on usurpation, violence, treachery and oppres- 
sion, and have always received the sanction of the church! Let 
every individual, he insists, read history, and then they will 
know that our sayings are true and not exaggerated, and that 
the two evil powers can only be conquered by arousing the world’s 
conscience and intellect. Thanks, he says, to the fearless pro- 
paganda of the freethinkers, for a great stir is already to be no- 
ticed among the people. The evils that our friend depicts cannot 
be denied. That money is the root of all evil is a true saying. 
Everything is made dependent upon it. It is the evil power 
which creates the idle and parasitic class. The Brotherhood of 
Destruction will use the most violent means to free the world 
from it, and that is their great mistake. The principles of our 
movement are to enlighten the people; make them realize the 
Divine love which alone can dissolve the selfish ideas that 
money and man-made titles of sup3riority exalts above our 
fellow beings. The other tool that is used to keep the people 
down, which our friend says is women, shows again the depth 
of his researches. The ‘Woman question,’ as it is commonly 
called, is certainly a very important one and upon an intelligent 
understanding of it will depend, to a great extent, our Recon- 
struction Movement. With great interest have I been watching 
the development of that question in America. America is the 
natural soil for reforms of all kinds, but how sad that the peo- 
ple are now becoming too much engrossed with the ideas that 
money alone makes the man, and if they do not use a powerful 
moral check they will lose the grandest opportunities that can 
make that land distinguished in rearing a race far superior to 
any on this globe, and by their example lead other nations to 
shake off their yokes and follow in their footsteps. The land 
free and independent, the people their own law-makers raid 
sovereigns! The American women reformers have often felt 
discouraged on account of man’s arbitrary and unfair conduct, 
their unfulfilled promises; their indifference and neglect. But, 
in my opinion, the blame is not to be cast so much on the hos- 
tility of man as on the mistake made to reduce that universal 


question to a sex or a woman’s question. It is true that men in 
their short sightedness and bigotry were the first ones to give 
a movement of such importance the wrong direction. I will 
soon send you a book in which you will read about the unblush- 
ing intolerance and the masculine self-sufficiency; how they de- 
creed that the accredited women delegates from America were 
not allowed to sit in the world’s convention in I^ondon. Their 
ability, their unflinching support and their self-sacrifices on be- 
half of the enslaved black race in their native land counted as 
nothing in the eyes of the self-constituted, fanatic coterie of 
male arbiters. The delegates were w^omen and that settled the 
point. The injustice and humiliation of that act left a scar so 
profound in the hearts of those brave reformers that on re- 
turning home a sex crusade was begun and it has maintained to 
this day the color given to it by men who felt safely entrenched 
behind the formidable bulwark of church and state. The un- 
daunted American women carried on an unequal struggle. The 
principles they had chosen were good in themselves, but not of 
sufficient strength to stir up the dormant faculties and could 
reach only those whose minds had been trained in the lines of 
independent thinking. Tht titles of Woman’s Rights, Woman 
Suffrage, Woman’s Political Clubs, etc., had but little meaning 
to the mass of womankind, and often the opposition was as bitter 
from the women as from the men. At present public opinion is 
still divided, but women could carry the day if they were willing 
to rise en masse and make an earnest demand for the rights of 
which they are entitled, and until that day arrives, when woiiieti 
will make an intelligent demand, which will be a guarantee that 
they are ready and willing to assume the responsibilities which 
will enlarge the sphere of their usefulness and- power, we cannot 
look for a radical amelioration of the conditions surrounding 
the existence of the human family, socially, politically and le- 
ligiously until women rise to a higher condition, for it is ‘through 
woman that nature writes in man’s heart.’ Limit the horizon of 
women and through an immutable law of nature you limit the 
horizon of men. Self sufficient men have created conditions in- 
jurious to themselves and dragged down women to share them 
without giving them a voice in the matter. The woman’s rights 
movement has done much in calling up women’s attention. The 


Brotherhood of Destruction wants to destroy the forces that are 
keeping one-half of the human family as if they were irrespon- 
sible beings, and, as the champion women resentfully say, they 
are classed with minors, idiots and criminals. In all ages and 
in all countries women have been denied the rights that 'her 
brothers enjoyed and their higher faculties have been kept in a 
latent condition. By enlightening women they will view life 
from a rational standpoint and superstition will loose its grasp 
on them, and when they shall attain their religious, legal, social 
and political freedom, then may we begin to look for the glorious 
advent of an enlightened race filling world! 

“I often feel a dreadful sense come over me when I con- 
sider how dangerous the Destructive movement is becoming, how 
easily they can drag the people wherever they want to through 
their eloquence. They continue, as they affirm, their propa- 
ganda in a victorious way in spite of any law or legal persecu- 
tion. It makes one shudder to hear the description they give of 
the desolation and misery which brings death by hunger to the 
monarchial subjects of Europe. Some become insane and throw 
themselves into cisterns. If you could see these starving people, 
they cry out, you would see that nothing remained of them but 
skeletons, nothing but skin and bones! They have no garments, 
they cannot go out, the women and children are half naked! 
They are arousing bitter hatred toward those whom they call the 
conscienceless supporters of the tyrants, the church authorities, 
who, like the people’s oppressors, live in" abundance and luxury. 
They give every detail to the public. How, for instance, in Italy, 
the churches cost the people more than 150,000,000 francs 
a year — that there are bishops whose incomes are enormous, 
and priests also who live in great abundance. Is it any wonder 
that they so faithfully support each other at the expense of their 
helpless subjects? This Destructive movement is terribly in 
earnest. I hear that their rules are very secret and extremely 
binding. Their own lives they hold as of no consequence. I 
have been informed that a very large gathering is to be held in 
the near future and I am in receipt of a pressing invitation tc^ 
be present. I have accepted it. You know reformers must see 
and hear all sides in order to become impartial and tolerant. 
It gave me great pleasure in hearing the kind act of your friend 


— 04 — 


in assisting that boy to obtain a musical education. It suggest- 
ed an idea, which, if followed, will furnish us a powerful auxilia- 
ry. Acting upon it I have discovered a young man who was 
struggling hard to acquire the necessary means to finish his 
studies in sculpture. I have placed him now where his talents 
will be improved to the utmost, and he is so grateful! We shall 
need in our Reconstructive work, sculptors, artists, singers, 
musicians, literary people, orators and others to stimulate and 
keep alive in the souls of mankind the doctrines and ideas that 
will bring the elevation and redemption of humanity.” 

Olga finished the letter and as it was late she hurriedly re- 
tired. 



— 65 


CHAPTER VI. 

Her first thought next day was to hunt up her- friend and 
give her Ivanohe’s writings. Ernestine took them very eagerly 
and she told Olga that she had written to her brother and was 
anxiously waiting for an answer. Olga was delighted to hear 
that she had decided to open a correspondence and felt sure that 
the benefit would be mutual. 

“You will no doubt find this very interesting and the evening 
of our next meeting come as early as you can.” 

“I will — good bye.” 

Ernestine looked unusually happy when they met at the reg- 
ular evening and when they were seated she asked Olga if she 
had never noticed the intelligent looking young woman, Florence, 
one of the chambermaids in the house. Olga replied in the affirm- 
ative, adding that she had intended to examine her more closely. 

“I have attended to that,” said Ernestine, “and from a dis- 
contented and unhappy damsel she has been transformed into a 
cheerful and independent young woman. For some time, when 
she happened to be in the room, I have felt that the poor girl 
was disheartened and sad. I became conscious that her whole 
trouble arose from being placed in an uncongenial situation. 
One day I spoke to her, how unprofitable it was to shut out the 
sunshine from our lives instead of shutting out the gloom and 
despondency. The poor girl did not understand what I meant. 
I came quickly to the point and told her I would assist her all 
I could if she felt that a literary career would bring her peace 
and contentment. She started and her face fiushed to the roots 
of her hair. ‘Have you seen my writings. Miss?’ she anxiously 
enquired. ‘Not your writings,’ I said, ‘but your strong inclina- 
tion in that direction, and I feel sure you have devoted some of 
your time to put on paper what your collected and concentrated 
mind has gathered in the realm of ideas. It would please me 
very much to see some of those products of your pen.’ The 
anxious look in her face gave place to a radient smile, and appa- 


rently forgetting everything she ran out and soon reappeared 
with a good sized package in her hands. She was nervous. 
With trembling fingers she opened it and handed it to me. It 
contained a number of well written stories. I told her what I 
thought; that there was no doubt in my mind that she could dis- 
pose of them, and if she was willing I would make the necessary 
inquiries. 

“ ‘Oh, how my heart beats. I do not dare to hope for success!’ 
she said. 

“I spoke encouraging words to her and retained two of the 
stories. They were written in a very original style. I felt con- 
fident that if I could interview the right party the budding 
author would obtain the asssitance she needed — and congratu- 
late me I have succeeded, and there is today a human being 
made happy by filling the niche which nature had intended for 
her. And how many unhappy beings could be made happy if they 
were placed where they naturally belong!” 

“You are perfectly right,” said Olga, “and that is one of 
the important principles of the Reconstructive Movement. I do 
not only congratulate you but I admire the spirit of helpfulness 
which prompts you to give assitance in a manner so new and so 
generous. Please tell me how were you impressed in reading 
my brother’s last news?” 

“It is not possible to express in words the impressions one 
receives at the reading of your brother’s v/ritings. How the 
world is filled with sorrow and how perfect it might be if man- 
kind could perceive the true light. The strongest thoughts arise 
in my mind. Why should we waste our time at school when the 
world is in such a need of active workers in the lines traced by 
the Reconstructive Movement?” 

Olga became very earnest and drawing closer to her friend, 
said: 

“Ernestine, you are doing the work best adapted for you at 
present. Continue faithfully in your studies and by the time 
that your active work in the world is needed you will be so emi- 
nently fitted for it that your presence will be a luminous guide 
for many. Your correspondence with Ivanohe will be a great 
help to you. Prom this safe retreat you will know and under- 
stand all the events and causes that will bring the mighty 


— at— 

changes in human affairs. Therefore gently curb your impatience 
and prepare yourself for the day when the call will be made for 
you.” 

“Thank you,” said the young girl. “Your disposition Is more 
positive, and you have more experience than I have. Would 
you like to have me give you a few ideas of what I wrote lately 
to your brother?” 

Olga looked at the ^*lock. 

“It will not take me long.” 

“We will have to arrange for more frequent meetings,” said 
Olga. “Matters are becoming very interesting. Suppose we meet 
every week instead of every two weeks. Will it interfere with 
your tasks?” 

“Not necessarily,” said Ernestine; “let it be every week, the 
same evening.” And the matter was settled. 

“Now I am all attention,” said Olga, and Ernestine began: 

“Before I began to write I was entirely absorbed in con- 
templating the fact how the lack of knowledge deprived the 
human family from enjoying the most exquisite delights. A pan- 
orama seemed to appear before my vision. It seemed to repre- 
sent the world. The mass of inhabitants was enormous and 
there was great restlessness and discord. They were all craving 
for something to bring them happiness, to bring them peace, but 
found none of a lasting kind. The inward struggle was re- 
flected in the external appearance. Care, anxiety and worry 
disflgured them. In their eagerness to gain happiness the most 
worldly bound created divisions, drew lines of distinction in the 
human family, thereby increasing the destructive propensities. 
Bright flashes could be discerned, shedding light in every direc- 
tion, but the eyes of the people were bent to earth seeing nothing 
but the hideous results of their own creation. The wondrous 
flashes increased in brightness and revealed the remedy to dis- 
pel the universal gloom. One bright flash made appear the 
sublime sentence — Man, know thyself! — Another, Look above the 
dust for Life, Divine Life, Love and Truth! Still an- 
other. Only from above can you gather the harmony, 
peace and abundance which are your rightful inheritance 
look up! And yet another. Ye children of God, awake! 
awake! enough have you fed among the swine, turn 


-— 68 — 


your steps unto the presence and become One with the Universal 
Principle in which you live, move and have your being, your only 
Father! As I looked at the great mass my heart felt sad. No 
attention did they pay to the sure remedies that were offered 
them. The vision impressed me so strongly that I feel now, more 
than ever, that mankind is groping in darkness. The ecclesias- 
tical structure, called the church of Christ, is organized more 
according to worldly and human ideas and bears not the slightest 
resemblance to the spiritual teachings of our highest and noblest 
teacher, the Good Nazarene! He understood that ever}^ human 
being is his king and priest. Mankind gropes in darkness, it has 
sunk deep into a state of idolatry. The god it has created is 
selfishness, which obscures its true character and instead of 
showing forth its god-like possibilities, it grovels in the dust. 
The souls of men need the right instruction which will prove to 
them the potent bread of life, and when they partake of it, the 
kingdom of heaven will appear on earth. This, and much more 
which appeared to me, I wrote down and sent it to your brother, 
and I do hope he will not put me down as a sentimentalist, a 
visionary or a dreamer.” 

“My brother,” said Olga, “is a deep thinker. He has a re- 
fined nature, not a refinement as the world regards it, the ex- 
ternal polish which often covers individual coarseness, and I 
know that he fully agrees with your metaphysical and scientific 
views, and now, let us retire,” and so they did. 

At the expected time both friends received news from Ivan- 
ohe and both impatiently waited for the appointed evening, and 
when they met, earlier than usual, Olga said: 

“Now, you read first, and in order to save time, let us read 
only the most salient points.” 

“I would like so much to hear you first,” said Ernestine. 

“Very well. Here he tells me how, having accepted the in- 
vitation to attend a meeting of the Brotherhood of Destruction, 
he was asked if he was willing to submit to their rules, which, 
they informed him, were very strict. He replied in the aflirma- 
tive and v>ms ready, but they must not postpone it too long, as his 
time was very precious. One afternoon a carriage stopped at 
the hotel where he was, and being called, as he appeared a sign 


-—^ 9 — 


was made by which he understood that he was to be conveyed 
to the meeting place.” 

“I entered the carriage,” he continues, “and found myself in 
complete darkness as soon as the carriage door was closed. It 
was a very long, dreary ride. We must have traveled at least 
five hours when there was a sudden stop. The carriage door was 
opened and it was night. I found myself surrounded by a number 
of dark, shadow-looking beings. Not a word was spoken and 
quicker than I could say it a bandage was fastened around my 
eyes. I felt a tight grasp around each arm and I could hear a 
heavy tread of someone walking in front and another in the rear. 
’The walk was so long that I began to wish it would come to an 
end. I noticed that we turned several sharp angles and ascended 
and descended what appeared a good sized hill. I heard a pro- 
longed shrill sound and my escorts slackened their steps. From 
the sensation I felt I concluded that we were in close proximity 
to some solid structure. There was a halt, and apparently a 
hurried consultation, when again we resumed our marcn. We 
descended two steps and there was a smooth, sandy walk. We 
stopped again, and what appeared from the sound, a massive 
door, opened. We went up three steps and found ourselv^es in 
what I judged to be a large corridor, or entrance. The floor was 
either of marble or polished stone. Again we stopped and an- 
other heavy door was opened. We entered and I heard the sound 
of many steps. A chair was shoved under me and I was glad to 
sit down. About five minutes elapsed when an individual ap- 
proached me and courteously saiyng, pardon me, sir, he removed 
the bandage from my eyes. I arose and stood face to face with 
my friend, Mr. K. He greeted me heartily and said he felt safe 
to say that I expected no apology and that I am the only one ad- 
mitted into that extraordinary place, and that I had not been 
put through the most severe rules of their order, and that I may 
account for that to their irresistable desire to obtain my pc-wer- 
ful co-operation in a struggle upon which hangs the destiny of 
mankind. 

“ ‘This is our ante- room, your arrival has been announced 
and the brothers are anxious to welcome 5^ou.’ I looked around; 
it was a very comfortable apartment. The ceiling was beautiful- 
ly decorated with emblems representing the object and scope of 


— 70 — 


the organization. Large mirrors hung from the walls, their 
rich gold frames were beautiful to behold. The furniture was 
of elegant designs and shapes and every piece seemd to have 
been made to combine beauty and comfort. My host evidently 
enjoyed the admiration with which I was looking around, and 
said: ‘All that you see is the product of the skill and industry 
of our Brotherhood. Everyone has contributed cheerfully for 
the comfort and delight of all. Now, if you are rested, we wjll 
no longer keep the brothers in suspense, and if j’ou allow me’-— 
he took me by the arm and we walked together to a certain 
point. ‘Now,’ he said, ‘1 will take you by a very short route. Sit 
down, please, and hold yourself firm. We must take all kinds 
of precautions. Now, if you are ready.’ Before I became aware 
there was a motion so rapid and a movement so complicated 
that I could not tell whether we went up, down or around, and 
found ourselves before a large crimson velvet portierre, the ends 
of which were caught up with heavy golden cords. Collecting 
myself after that sudden and unexpected whirl, I realized that 
we w^ere on a large platform, and in front of us was a large 
assembly. My escort arose and motioning to me he stepped 
to* the front and said: ‘Brothers and friends, it is my 
honor and pleasure to introduce to you a gentleman whom you 
all know, if not personally, from reputation. He is the head 
member of the Brotherhood of Beconstruction.’ The whole as- 
sembly rose to their feet and the salute, the welcome and greet- 
ings which they so enthusiastically extended affected nae con- 
siderably. A large number of ladies were present and it was a 
bright and cultured gathering. 

“The presiding officer, after having obtained perfect order, 
invited the speaker of the evening to the platform. He arose 
and slowly came for\vard. He was a handsome man about 35 
years old. In a clear, resonant voice he began to portray the 
whole social structure. With a vividness that made the heart 
sick he uncovered the sores and ulcers which destroy the social 
body. ‘And,’ said he, with a terrible emphasis, ‘is there any one 
on this groaning earth who would have the temerity to insinuate 
that we must stand by and witness much longer and support 
a system which makes all groveling cowards ? Are we, the 
members of this Brotherhood, to be influenced by it? [“No! no! 


71 — 


no!’' came the answer in thundering tones from the audience.] The 
ever increasing human greed for money is attracting our atten- 
tion to that land where there would really be no need for hard- 
ship and poverty. The worshippers of mammon of that great 
land are boasting that they annually export to foreign countries 
millions upon millions of dollars worth of products, while a con- 
gress of physicians have recently ascribed to it 
that an enormous number of people become bereft of their reason 
and are sent to insane asylums, and thousands upon thousands are 
dragging cheerless lives in almshouses! Thousands upon thous- 
ands of children under five years of age die annually, due to the 
lack of proper nourishment, clothing and shelter! [“Horrible! 
Horrible!” cried out the audience.] Will any one with a sane head 
on his or her shoulders, tell us that a system whch possesses not 
a single redeeming feature shall be allowed to remain, covering 
this glorious mother earth with ever increasing poverty, suf- 
fering and crime?’' The whole assembly had risen to their feet 
and with fierce gestures they cried: ^Down! with the system and 
its supporters!’ 

“I tell you,^ my dear sister, the speech was long and impres- 
sive, and it is not surprising if they succeed in convincing the 
people, who have obtained no other information, that no other 
avenue remains open for those who want to redeem the people 
from impending slavery but the Destructive movement. We will 
now, said the president, conduct our guest to the different de- 
partments, that he may have a glimpse of what human skill can 
accomplish w'hen free to act. ‘I say free, which of course is not 
correct, for we .have not yet obtained the blessed freedom.’ He 
drew his chair close to mine and said: ‘We will first visit our 
picture gallery.’ While he was talking I felt several vibrations 
on the platform, and in the twinkling of an eye we went through 
a similar motion as the one that brought us before the assem- 
bly. We were in a very spacious corridor, brightly lighted, with 
large, handsomely ornamented chandeliers, and we were stand- 
ing before a large column of people whom I recognized as those 
whom we had left in the hall. A heavy folding door swung open 
and a dazzling view appeared before my eyes. None of the pic- 
ture galleries that I had seen could be compared with that one. 
Each painting represented life sized occurrences in real life 


— 72 — 


which the Brotherhood denounced so fiercely. Poverty with its 
deadening influence, its sorrows and despair The possessors of 
wealth looking upon human misery with contempt and turning 
from it as they would from pestilence. Squalid, cold and dark 
prisons with brutalized inmates. I stood in front of a very 
large canvas. The subject it represented was executed in a man- 
ner so real that I had to make an effort to move on. On the fore- 
ground the twin monsters — as they call them — the state and 
the church, were represented. The first by a magnificent capitol 
and the second by a highly ornamented structure resembling a 
cathedral. The subtle performance of both institutions was 
represented with so much ingenuity and power of suggestion that 
the attention of the beholder was led to the immense human in- 
dustrial field. The hardships and privations of the toilers could 
almost be felt. At times it seemed as if the pressure was so 
crushing that they would turn to the state for relief, but the stale 
frov/ned on them while it smiled approvingly at the doings of 
a lot of bankers, corporations, trusts and syndicates. The bowed- 
down toilers then turned imploringly to the church, where every 
time their eyes met some well fed, well dressed and well provided 
servant of the Lord, who, with piously drawn face, would point 

with up-stretched hand to heaven — not here on earth but over 
there will you find what you are asking for — the suggestive at- 
titude seemed to say. That painting spoke volumes. I could have 
remained on the spot for hours. I stepped reluctantly to an- 
other painting of equal size as the other and I still can recall 
the sensation of a shudder that ran through me as I stood there 
and realized the full import of the artist’s idea. State and church 
again conspicuously in the foreground, as in the other. The 
dark, damp, filthy prison represented in the underground 
Human beings could be seen steeped in filth, some crowding in 
different positions and some could be seen in a tremor as they 
tried to free themselves from filthy insects that crowded every un- 
covered part of their bodies. Others, with faces upturned, with 
such frightful expressions that it was impossible to guess whether 
they were sending up prayers or curses. Others were completely 
broken and cowed down, and the filthy substance could be seen 
falling in big drops upon their heavily chained bodies. Another 
place of torture which showed the brutal cruelty of man to man 


- 73 -^ 


was the prison so arranged that the wretches who, as a rule, were 
men who had lifted their voices against oppression and tyranny, 
were kept constantly standing in mud and water. The water 
was kept rising all the time and in order not to he drowned 
they were kept busy emptying it in another direction. The sight of 
them was horrible and appealed to every humane sentiment. Some 
of them in their helplessness and hopelessness would turn their eyes 
to the direction of where state and church were forever ready — the 
one to point to large law books, to gallows, guillotines, and around 
and about it were black mouthed cannons, glittering bayonets 
and other life-destroying missiles. Another large finger pointed 
to the arsenal of destruction peculiar to the church. An im- 
mense sized thumbscrew, the rack, and one could almost hear 
the snapping crack of the fagot and other instruments for in- 
flicting inconceivable torture, were in plain sight, while, with 
contortions sickening to behold, the servants of the Lord would, 
in response to the agonizing appeal of the victims, point down 
to the furnace of everlasting burning. The horrible interior of 
other prisons were shown. Do you remember of the prisons, 
‘Sotto i piombi,’ described by S. P., which you and I when quite 
young, used to read and wondered how people could ever exist 
even for a short time and not become raving maniacs? There 
they were as true as life. I felt the greatest admiration for the 
real genius of the artist and tore myself away and went to the 
next large canvas, which represented a battle field. Again, on 
the foreground, were to be seen the twin institutions. I do not 
believe that even those who were witnesses on the battle ground 
could realize the horrors of the legal wholesale murdering Sailed 
war! Many awful details that would escape the attention during 
the unnatural excitement of the war were presented in all their 
ghastliness by the artist. The effect produced on the imagina- 
tion acts so strangely on the nerves as to set them into a quiver. 
All the machinery of destruction, the regiments ready for the 
fray — men in full vigor and life ready to destroy life, ready to kill 
their fellow beings who have done each other no harm, have 
perhaps never seen each other, might have been true friends! 

“I tell you sister, the thoughts that flowed through my mind 
as I stood viewing that scene came very near making me lose 
my faith in the possibility of reconstructing society. To think 


— 74 — 


for one moment that thousands, yes, millions of men, drilled 
and armed to the teeth, could be induced to look upon a whole- 
sale destruction of that precious gift, human life, as patriotic, to 
please the whims, the caprices of a few arrogant tyrants! Mankind 
has, with an extreme lack of the sense of the fitness of things, 
called war an art! Taxing the nations, loading them with unpay- 
able debts, adopting continually more and more improved weap- 
ons of destruction, taking the ablest bodied men from useful occu- 
pations, making them heavy burdens upon the industry of others 
and maiming and crippling the most useful members of society, 
all this is called an art. Are we really sane? I now convey to 
you but a faint idea of how this great artist has so really repro- 
duced on canvas the horrible scenes after the battle. The ‘twin 
monsters,’ as they call them, show their dreadful power more than 
ever after the unutterable suffering, both physical and moral, 
which they inflicted on their submissive subjects. The state, 
which succeeded in murdering and crushing the most, tries with 
deceiving words of heroism and patriotism to lift the funeral 
pall which hangs low over the bereaved homes of the people, while 
the church is beside itself in offering hymns and anthems which 
a just God must certainly abhor! 

“The more I looked upon the scene the more my soul be- 
came oppressed. The many other paintings were equally as 
strong and effective in presenting human misery and woe. I 
expressed a strong desire to see the artist but was informed that 
he was not present but out in the world gathering new ideas for 
other productions. The brotherhood has a strong belief that 
the artist’s skill is furnishing them with a moral arsenal and that 
its powerful effect will in due time produce the needed explosion 
which will destroy the present abominable system. I feel con- 
vinced that this brotherhood has made no mistake in this point. 
Do you recall how often we wondered how easy ‘Cola di Rienzo’ 
swayed the Roman people by firing their imagination with paint- 
ings representing their wretched conditions? The effect which 
these paintings produce I must own is most remarkable. 

“I was next taken through a very dark passage into an- 
other large room which was a chemical laboratory. There ex- 
perts were to prepare explosive matter of all kinds. The latest 
inventions in chemical combinations were there fully mastered, 


— 75 — 


and the longing prayer, may our Reconstructive Brotherhood suc- 
ceed, so these fearful combinations shall not be needed to dev- 
astate God’s earth, wpnt up from the depths of my heart. Next 
I was taken through an opening, which, only those familiar 
with it would have discovered, so ingeniously was it con- 
cealed from view. The dimension of this place was large. 
Heavy colonnades supported a ceiling which was cut out in the 
massive stone. In orderly array were to be seen implements 
of destruction of every kind. If the oppressors of mankind 
could take a look at what I saw they would gladly change their 
conduct toward their fellow beings. I was requested to promise 
not to reveal anything of what I had seen or heard, and there- 
fore as soon as you have read this please destroy it. The presi- 
dent regretted it was so very late. He wished I could see how 
the stage w<»rk was to be changed, how it was no longer to be 
used as it had been heretofore, to simply amuse and misdirect 
the public mind, but to instruct and prepare it for a reform 
work which is so colossal in its principles, and, said he, very 
impressively, all that you have seen is multiplying to such an 
extent that if the thoughtless and arrogant bosses had the least 
idea, they would be so surrounded by fear that they would 
turn to better things.” 

“We hope,” he continued, “that you may have the pleas- 
ure to meet our friend the artist. He is a native of that classic 
land, the garden of Europe, reduced by the bad government to 
beggary and ignorance, the land of song and poetry, Italy! He 
was rescued by two of our brothers from a sad ending induced 
by despair of a hard and unsuccessful struggle. About eighteen 
months ago the two members of our brotherhood were return- 
ing from another section. They were crossing a mountain, and 
had reached the summit when they noticed that they were not 
alone, from the fact that not far from where they stood there 
were some objects on the ground. They went closer and saw 
a large brimmed hat and painter’s tools, etc., etc. They looked at 
each other and then looked around for the owner of what they 
beheld. But nobody was in sight. They noticed a piece of paper 
fastened to a branch of a tree near by. They went to it, pulled it 
off and examined it. Written in a strong, bold hand were the 
following words: ‘Farewell, oh world! Thou canst not under- 


— 70 — 


stand the silent torture of a soul whose only aim was to love 
and serve thee. Not for gain and selfish glory would I have let 
ray mind dwell in the exalted realm of the beautiful, but to feed 
the souls of others, and thereby pacify the internal discord which 
consumes the best — the best of which mankind is capable! Fare- 
well! A. Z.’ A suicide’s farewell, whispered both at the same 
time. Let us hasten to find him! They went silently, looking 
right and left, and finally separated. The search lasted several 
hours. The would-be suicide had taken great pains to accom- 
plish his purpose. At the risk of their own lives the two brave 
brothers rescued the man whose life was almost extinct as he 
was drawn up from the deadly precipice! We have detained you 
much longer than we intended and we sincerely hope this will 
not be your 'last visit, and whenever you should find yourself in 

here, he whispered in my ears the names of the different 

countries and provinces where their brotherhood had similar 
headquarters, and smilingly he said: We all keep our eyes on 
you and you shall be treated as you have been here. Now, we 
will bid you farewell and your escorts will again take charge of you. 
I felt moved at the warmth and friendly feeling with which each 
one took leave of me. It was not an ordinary, every-day sort 
of people I was to depart from. It was a people in whom dwell- 
eth qualities which, if well used, would create great epochs in 
the world’s history. My eyes were again bandaged and the same 
precautions taken, but I became aware that we were on a differ- 
ent route. The distance seemed about the same and the car- 
riage was in waiting, but the bandage was not taken off until I 
was in it and we had gone quite a distance, when 
they stopped, opened the door, and, apologizing, I was told that 
following the instruction I was to be relieved. The bandage dis- 
appeared, but everything was done so rapidly that the door was 
closed before I could get a glimpse from outside. I sat in dark- 
ness and the drive seemed even longer than the former, but my 
thoughts were so busy with what I had seen that I was very 
patient, and in due time I was asked to alight and found myself 
in close proximity to the hotel. This is niy first experience with 
the Brotherhood of Destruction. I have gained many new ideas 
which may be utilized in the future, and I have conceived an 
idea which I hardly dare to entertain and will therefore not 


— 77 — 


speak of it at this time. I have received a letter from your 
friend, and, as you probably know, I have answered it. She is cer- 
tainly a remarkable young lady. Please give her my very best 
regards and write to me as soon as you can. Your loving 
brother, Ivanohe.” 

► Olga glanced at the clock ^‘And here is my letter,’’ said 

Ernestine. “What shall we do?” 

“I’ll tell you,” replied Olga, “tomorrow is a half holiday. I 
had nearly made up my mind to join the excursionists, but now I 
prefer to remain.” 

“And I know you will not object,” said Ernestine, “I will keep 
you company, and now, I say good night,” and they parted. 



— 78 — 


CHAPTER VII. 

When Ernestine returned next day she found Olga as usual 
waiting for her, and soon they were ready, the one to read and 
the other to listen. In respectful terms Ivanohe thanked his sister’s 
friend for the honor and pleasure -of being allowed to exchange 
thoughts and ideas with one who appeared far above the ordinary 
kind of young ladies; one, who at an early stage in life Avould lift 
her mind above the petty and frivolous things which as a rule fill the 
thoughts of young women. 

“Your letter,” he wrote, “has been very instructive to me. I 
too, do believe that regeneration is vitally essential to a true life, 
and through it alone when rightly understood does the transforma- 
tion take place. Mankind has for so many centuries lost sight of 
its rightful inheritance. The Nazarene’s wotds to Mcodemus have 
remained a mystery to a world completely steeped in materiality. 
But the light is appearing and the true meaning of the words Wou 
must be born from above or you cannot see the kingdom of heaven,’ 
is becoming apparent to every seeker of Truth. All true and per- 
manent reform has its beginning with the individuals. To insure a 
correct result the units in a problem must be in right relation. 
Selfishness, prejudice, and all false notions must be overcome by 
each individual in order to obtain complete harmony. You and 
other broad minded women will some day be called to create a new 
school of thought. Mankind has been feeding on husks and rest- 
ing upon a tottering foundation, and why? Because it has never 
been taught the real truth of its being. Man, made in the like- 
ness and image of the Creator, on account of the wrong teachings, 
has created a world of oppressors and victims acting or being 
acted upon by the destroying forces called pride, envy, greediness, 
hate and sensuality. We are learning that thoughts have a dynamic 
power, and ideas create Vibrations in the universal ether. There- 
fore, in order to establish a permanent reform, the very best and 
most elevating ideas must be presented to the minds of the people, 
and improve their environments; then will a wonderful transforma- 


— 79 — 


tion take place and the new world will appear. Every reformer in 
the twentieth century w^ho is well posted on the problems of the 
day, knows that any amount and any kind of reform work is use- 
less unless womankind is raised from a condition which casts out 
and distorts woman’s great loveliness of soul into practical false- 
hoods! The searching light of science has revealed to us that 
while the development of 'woman’s gifts and talents has been dwarfed, 
their ambitions, pride and inordinate selfish motives have been stim- 
ulated. One of the most poisonous stimulus, as science 
teaches, is ‘fashion,’ which perverts the female character from its 
sweetness and purity into a cold, heartless, vain, 

coquettish being. And when can such dreadful wicked- 

ness cease? Only when women arise and arm themselves 
against it, and rely mainly on their own natural charms and mental 
culture, which alone can make them more perfect and beautiful; 
then will the monstrous tempter of female virtues, ‘the press,’ the 
‘fashion magazines,’ completely disappear. No one who reads the 
articles in the press concerning the fashions will disapprove our call- 
ing it the ‘monstrous tempter of female virtue.’ Again and again 
men have tried to rise alone, but every time they have had to learn 
that through the operation of an inexorable law men and women 
must rise or fall together. It has become a fixed idea in my mind 
that the Reconstructive Movement can be carried to a grand suc- 
cess if we can discover the means by which we can awaken the 
dormant faculties of women. To leave them in the present leth- 
argic condition, or arouse them only enough so as to drag them 
along, I can forsee nothing but an abortive attempt, but if we 
succeed in getting them to realize the true situation, and they en- 
thusiastically are willing to co-operate, the result for good will 
be great! I would like to write to you so much more 
but I know your time is taken up by your studies. Hoping you will 
kindly pardon me, yours very respectfully, Ivanohe.” 

The two friends remained silent for a while, and then Ernes- 
tine began. 

“My dear friend, your brother’s letter ought to be in every 
woman’s hands, and, no doubt, many would feel a sting of guilt as 
I do. It never appeared to me as it does after reading this re- 
markable communication. It has recalled to my mind an incident 
which had remained for a long time strongly impressed upon me, 


-80— 


but lately had begun to fade, and now it is as vivid as when it 
happened. In our tour through Italy we stopped in one of the 
quaint old towns of Piedmont. The surroundings were very pict- 
uresque. One day we were strolling around greatly enjoying tlie 
beautiful scenery when we noticed a young girl coming from be- 
hind a large tree, a basket on her arm. On seeing us she stopped 
with a sudden start, and then remained motionless like a statue 
Per lips were parted and her eyes moved rapidly, looking 

from one to another. Her attitude showed plainly her surprise at 
the apparition of strangers. We had heard that the people were 
very poor, and on that particular day Mrs. Jenken had insisted that 
we should appear as gorgeous and gay as the butterflies of the fields 
The girl we saw was 15 or 16 years old. She 

was tall but well formed, her face was of a radiant beauty in spite 
of a faded old handkerchief tied around her head. The coarse and 
ill-fitting dress could not disfigure her well developed form. I felt 
strongly tempted to speak to her, as I had studied the Italian 
language, but Mrs. Jenken interfered. ‘A nice looking beggar,’ she 
said, with visible contempt. ‘Don’t speak to her,’ she said to me, 
and passed haughtily by the motionless girl. The idea haunted 
me for a long time; that by some mysterious way the unkind act 
of Mrs. Jenken had aroused a hostile feeling in the strange child, 
because any one could see that something like a dark cloud settled 
on her pretty face. I must have shown the pain I felt, for, as she 
looked at me it disappeared, a delicate flush tinted her cheeks 
and a faint smile moved her lips. Again and again the sentences 
I once heard, and think are true, appeared strongly before my mind, 
that ‘Every fashionable woman is a disgrace to her sex.’ 
When Avill this age of ‘fuss and feathers,’ shows and shams, lies and 
pretenses, and artificialities without realties, end? Oh, if women 
would only spend the time and expense in improving 
their womanhood now squandered on fashion, how inconceivably 
lovlier, happier and better would they render the world! Think 
how fashion dissipates women’s minds! 

“Not far from the town was an old church very much re- 
nowned for its ancient architectural style and superb paintings, and 
we were to visit it before resuming our journey, so, the next Sun- 
day, our proud friend, Mrs. Jenken, would not consent to go un- 
less we should appear in our most stylish apparel. She wanted to 


— 81 — 


be admired even by the poor, ignorant peasantry in 'that far-off cor- 
ner of the land. Powdered, perfumed, and richly decked, our party, 
or we, I may say, entered through the wile portals of the great edi- 
fice. The church was filled with people, the men on one side and 
the women on the other. They were all dressed in a plain, coarse 
costume, and they Avere evi lently praying as their heads Avere all bent 
doAvn. We Avalked sloAvly forAA^ard to where AA^e had noticed some 
empty seats, when I noticed a figure kneeling in one of the front 
roAvs. Turning cautiously around, and seeing us, a smothered ex- 
clamation escaped from her lips and she jumped up to her feet. 
The person next to her grasped her by the arm and compelled her 
to resume her position. I recognized her; it was the girl Ave had 
seen a feAv days before. The rest of the party were busy in seating 
themselves comfortably. Whether it v^as the rustling of the silk 
garments or anything else, we were hardly seated when the whole 
assembly had their eyes fixed upon U ;. The appearance of the priest 
acted like a reminder to the people and soon their heads Avere turned 
toAvard the altar. Was it a coincidence or was it meant as a Avarn- 
ing? During the sermon, to which I Avas listening with much atten- 
tion, the priest said: ‘The Avorst kind of a sin is to crave for lux- 
uries, the purpose of Avhich is only to gratify human vanity.’ I 
saAV him fix his eyes on the girl, who made a strong gesture, at the 
same time turning abruptly and looking at me with burning eyes. 
I felt guilty, for it Avas plain enough to see that our presence AA'as 
acting as an evil influence up the poor people. I had not learned at that 
time what I knoAV noAV, that magnificent garments and ornaments 
used by the oppressors, have ahvays seduced fee eyes of the multitude 
and rendered them more easily submissiA^e. I was peculiarly im- 
pressed that the poor girl AAmild go through some dreadful experience 
in her life, and I Avould knoAV all about it. It was odd, AA^as it not, 
that such a thought should occur to me ?” 

“Time Avill proA'e it, my dear,” said Olga. 

“In a day or Iaa^O I Avill ansAA'er again to your brother. His kind 
consideration for the good of others, and his advanced ideas, contrast 
so strongly Avith the sentiments expressed in this letter Avhich I have 
received from home. Think AAdiat a gulf exists betAA^een me and my 
relatiA^es ! Think of the noble and humane endeavors of your brother 
and his co-AA^orkers, and compare them with the news of the self- 
indulgence, the shameful extravagance ip the face of want and 


— 82 — 


poverty ! Read further on, how are described the laces worn by women 
dotted with tiny diamonds as if woven in its meshes. Gowns adorn- 
ed with real brilliants. Pearls dyed to match exactly any shade in 
silk brocades. Dogs being jeweled and decked in costly ma- 
terials, while the little, helpless, dear children suffer the pangs of 
hunger and cold! I will read no further; I leave it to you. Let us 
go out for a walk” and out they went. 

When they returned Miss Olga played the music that so strongly 
affected her young friend, as well as many of the other guests. 

“I feel so rested and calm now,” said Ernestine. 

‘‘And so do I,” replied Olga, “and I think this has been a very 
enjoyable day.” 

In due time they separated, and next day when Ernestine was 
walking home from school, she heard someone walking fast behind 
her, and she drew a little aside, wondering who the hurrying person 
might be, when she heard her name called, and, turning around, she 
stood facing the young authoress whom she had assisted in her lit- 
erary career. The young authoress’ face was beaming with joy, and, 
still holding Ernestine’s hand, told her she had gone to the excursion 
the day previous hoping to meet her, but having failed to see her, 
she had been uneasy and nothing would relieve her but to take the 
trip and come directly to see her. Ernestine listened with a happy 
smile on her face. “Let us walk slowly,” she said, “and tell me 
what you are doing. Are you stiflll contented with your chosen oc- 
cupation ?” 

“My contentment is complete. You probably remember the 
book I was writing when I saw you last. I realized a good profit 
on it. I have commenced another one. My imagination was much 
stirred up yesterday, for I can see glimpses of an adventure, and — 
perhaps, a tragedy. It gave me, or it put me on a new train of 
thought, which may furnish many interesting points. The 
weather was considered yesterday by everybody perfect. The 
part of the country visited by the excursionists was an ideal spot. 
My first thought was to look for you, and my heart was full of 
joy in the anticipation of spending that lovely day in your com- 
pany, out in the open air, surrounded by such natural beauty. 
I will not mention a word of the void I felt, when, after looking and 
searching for you, among the large throng, found you were not 
among the pleasure seekers. However, I did not allow the tormentor 


■ 83 —— 


called disappointment to dwell long within me, and I was struck by 
the idea that I had a good opportunity for the study of human na- 
ture. I noticed an inviting place and hastened to it. There were 
three large oak trees forming a semi- circle, and abundant mosses 
making a soft, comfortable seat. From that point I had a splendid 
view of the bright and animated scene. My mind was made up to 
pass the time as an interested spectator, and, being alone, I took out 
of my satchel a book and writing material, I can never dispense with, 
especially when visiting strange places. My whole attention was 
soon taken up. Unrestricted and free I enjoyed the ever changing 
panorama, but I was soon startled out of my contemplative mood 
by a male voice which said in a tone which denoted much impatience : 

“ ‘My dear, excuse me, but I have told you so often that you act 
so childish, and put me in a ridiculous position. Now, don’t begin to 
ci’y, you know how it irritates my nerves.’ 

“I heard steps approaching slowly and a voice sweet and trem- 
bling said: 

“ ‘Arthur, I feel that my presence is burdensome to you, and the 
thought nearly crushes me.’ ‘Hush!’ replied the other voice, more 
impatiently, ‘someone may hear you. I will not have this day spoiled, 

be and look cheerful like the rest of the people, and no more 

scenes. I will not endure them!’ ‘Arthur, why did you force me to 
come here, when my heart is filled with sorrow and bitterness. How 
can I look and be cheerful?’ ‘Confound your obstinacy! You will 
drive me to make use of some extreme measure!’ ‘Arthur! Do your 
worst! You ill treat, threaten, and make me miserable in every con- 
ceivable way; you have ruined my life.’ They were approaching so 
near to where I sat that I made a noise by rolling down some stones, 
and the talking ceased. Pretty soon two figures advanced and walk- 
ed faster. I did not look up from my book until they had gone a 
little distance, and then I began to examine them. An elegantly at- 
tired gentleman, and leaning on his right arm a very stylishly dress- 
ed young lady. Her form was p3rfect, but what was it that caused 
her to appear awkward and ill at ease in her fine garments? At a 
glance one could see that he was a man of the world, while her tim- 
idity and embarrassment reminded me of a simple, unaffected peas- 
ant girl not familiar with the demands of style and fashion. When 
they were about fifty feet from where I sat, I saw them stand still, 
and it was plain to see that they were quarreling. The lady suddenly 


—84— 


withdrew her arm from his and sprang into a shady place at her 
left. He looked cautiously around and then ran after her. A vivid 
curiosity arose within me and I was determined to keep a close 
vatch on the two individuals who so unexpectedly had appeared 
on the scene. I gathered my belongings and went to the opposite 
direction where the couple had disappeared. After looking in all di- 
lections and not seeing them I resumed my walk with the intention 
of mingling with the crowd so as not to arouse any suspicion. While 
almost completely absorbed in this matter I caught a glimpse of my 
new benefactress, Madame Konrad. She is a lady, who, I know, you 
would like to get acquainted with. She resides in a beautiful villa 
some miles from here, where she invited me on several occasions. 
Having read my book, a great desire on her part to know the author 
brought us together. She has a loving and generous heart and she 
is a very deep thinker. One day she very earnestly said to me: 
‘My dear young friend, the time is approaching fast when your talent 
will be needed, and your writings will be of great value, when the 
Reconstructive Movement will try to evolve order out of the present 
chaos and confusion, to obtain peace instead of riots, and love instead 
of hatred. Would you mind telling me your history, how you beean:c 
an able writer?’ I told her of my hard struggle and your rescLiing 
^^’ork. She listened with much attention, and wheji I finished, saij: 
‘A noble deed! God bless her!’ When I saw her on the grounds siie 
as conversing Avith some friends and beckoned to me. I went to her. 
She appeared so glad to see me. The friends that Avere Avith her 1 
had met at her home, and I was greeted with every sign of cordiality 
and good will. ‘Are you engaged in anything neAv?’ inquired Mad- 
ame. ‘Yes, I replied, and I fancied a while ago that I AAmiild gather 
today some material for my AA^ork. The object of my observation is a 
young couple.’ The friends exchanged glances ‘Do you knoAV any- 

thing concerning them?’ asked Madame. ‘I do not, Madame,’ 1 le- 
plied, ‘but I should not be surprised if some day the public Avill he 
shocked by some unlooked for tragedy.’ ‘I did notice the couple,’ 
continued the lady, ‘and the unfortunate girl is certainly to be pitied. 
Tlie young man is handsome, but his dissipated life is plainly marked 
on his countenance.’ 

“If you alloAv me, IMiss, I would like to ask you what are your 
conjectures ?” 

“My conjectures are that the young, beautiful creature is one of 


— 85 — 


our simple, innocent rural doves, snatched from her home by the du- 
plicit}^ and base treachery of some city unprincipled ‘Don Juan.’ 
The poor girl’s heart may break, her whole life be blasted, but what 
<10 the young rascals of that stamp care? I have made up my mind 
to keep an eye on them, and follow them if need be, to see how the 
affair will end.” 

“There are too many of these cases,” said the lady, “and that is 
one of the reasons why we must spread the principles of the Recon- 
structive Movement.” A cordial invitation to visit her and with a 
friendly adieu we parted. 

“What I saw during the remainder of the afternoon confirmed 
me more and more that I was not mistaken. Once I had almost lost 
them entirely out of sight, the throng was so large, and I was hurrying 
in the direction where they had disappeared, and when the big crowd 
began to spread out in different parts I found myself but a few 
yards from them. The young man took a handkerchief out of his 
pocket and I saAV something like a card fall to the ground. As they 
moved on and I had reached the place where they had been, I picked 
up the card and discovered that he is a member of an Italian noble 
family. On the back of the card was written the name of the hotel 
where they are staying and tomorrow I will take a tour around that 
place. I hope I have not wearied you.” 

“No, indeed,” said Ernestine, “it has interested me very much, 
and if what you suspect is true I wish something could be done to 
save that girl.” 

“So do I, and now, I bid you a hasty good bye. Please give my 
regards to Miss Olga.” 

“Can’t you spare a moment and come and speak to her?” 

“Not today, though it would please me very much. I have a 
great deal to do which will probably take part of the night. Good 
bye.” 

As Ernestine was approaching the building she saw Olga coming 
hurriedly toward her. 

“You are late, my dear,” she said. “I went to your room, and 
not finding you there, I came to meet you. I have been wanting to 
see you sooner, but could not spare a moment. The letter you left 
me I would like to send to my brother, and I came to ask your per- 
mission. It reveals to me a serious state of affairs in your country, 
the country he looks to with so much hope and confidence. Your 


- 86 -- 


mother’s and other wealthy American women’s bitter denunciations 
of the sentiments expressed on the senate floor by a United States 

senator although I admit that the language might have been 

more refined, it plainly shows that instead of admitting their mis- 
takes and correcting them, they are bent on doing worse. Some of 
the words spoken by the senator which have aroused so much hostili- 
ty, and your mother thought wise to send to you, with the intention, 
no doubt, to prejudice your mind, are, that rich American girls are 
‘fatted heifers,’ enriched at the expense of the plain people and sent 
to Europe in trade for titles. He predicted the fall of the republic 
unless a change in the order of things was made. You do not ob- 
ject to my sending the letter to Ivanohe, and I thank you. Seeing 
the danger, it will spurn the Reconstructive Movement to greater 
activity. Have you already written to. him ?” 

“No, I intend finishing the letter tonight, and being a little late, 
I can only tell you that I saw Miss Florence and the next time we 
meet you will hear all she told me,” and so, quickly they separated. 

The day that Ivanohe received Ernestine’s letter he had been 
making preparations for a prolonged journey. The Reconstructive 
Movement in Germany had requested his immediate presence. Import- 
ant events were transpiring in that country of deep thinkers. The 
march of human progress, and the mightiest social and economic 
revolution the world had ever seen, was presenting unmistakable 
symptoms of a sudden eruption. Therefore, the leaders of that move- 
ment from every country were to meet in a great conference. The 
patient and submissive German proletariat had finally lifted its 
head. It seemed as if for the first time they understood that their be * 
loved fatherland was turned into a drill ground. With apprehension 
and terror they witnessed the inroads which a military system makes 
upon the liberty of the people. The awakening appeared too sudden 
and a terrible reaction was feared. Ivanohe’s calm judgment and his 
perfect knowledge of the great undertaking was not affected by the 
restless attitude, on the contrary he rejoiced that the much needed 
hour of awakening was drawing near. He rejoiced at the thought 
that the people were becoming conscious of the irresistible power of 
the principles of equity and justice. When the great masses of 
humanity shall be penetrated, heart and soul, with the high ideals 
of those principles, the continents of this blessed earth will no 
longer bristle with bayonets and glare with the barbaric splendor 


and ostentation of so-called professional officers, who in reality are 
nothing but artistically and scientificary trained wholesale murder- 
ers! And who can abolish the reign of the brute force but the in- 
telligent mass of the people? The Reconstructive Movement will 
surely succeed in making them understand that the brute destroying 
force has always been in the hands of a ruling minority, and they 
are the ones who have denied the people the right to establish tlie 
supreme authority of their will, which alone, when rightly prac- 
ticed, can inaugurate a civilization which will manifest the good will 
to all men, and peace eternal! Only wffien the great masses of the 
people will understand the great principles that develop the moral 
and intellectual forces, and in this advanced age, the 20th century, 
they will conquer the present evils, rnd they will not do what they 
did in the past, leaving the fruits of their victories in the hands of 
their tyrannical enemies, who in a short time renewed again their 
oppression and buried the people’s sublime ideals of liberty, their 
noble sentiments of human equality, and turned the tide of civili- 
zation backward ! 

Having finished his preparations and read Ernestine’s letter, the 
thought of a young sculptor who had joined the great movement 
and had sent him w^ord saying that his presence, even if for only a 
little while, would bring him a great relief. Looking at his watch, 
and seeing that it was not late, he hurried down stairs, hailed a 
passing cab, gave the driver the address, and in due time found him- 
self in the sculptor’s presence. His intention had been to surprise 
his friend, and his presence not having been announced, the young 
man had covered his Avork, and turning toward the intruder, uttered 
a loud exclamation of joy. Their meeting was very cordial and at 
Ivanohe’s friendly request the covering was removed, and then it 
was Ivanohe’s turn to utter an exclamation of surprise and admira- 
tion. The conception was delicate and beautiful, but the depths of its 
significance stirred at once the mind and heart of the beholder. The 
artist’s ideal could be read in every lineament and feature of the 
different features composing the group. 

‘‘This impressive allegory,” said Ivanohe, “will stir up the hearts 
of the people in a manner so incisive and lasting as no words nor 
books could succeed in doing, and when the time for its mission is 
at hand, the effect it will produce upon the people will be the sweet- 
est compensation to your genius and devotion to the human cause.” 


• 88 — 


“Thank you/’ said the young man in a low tone, a tone whose 
ring was devoid of any gladness. 

Ivanohe turned his eyes from the group and looked at the young 
man. 

“My poor friend/’ said he, taking one of his hands, “why this 
mournful expression? Your face ought to show the radience of a 
happy soul. Speak, are you in any trouble?” 

“Do not ask me, kind friend, I doubt whether you would under- 
stand me.” 

“I shall be very sorry to leave you do you not trust me, 

might it not be my good fortune to be of service to you? Let us 
reason together ” 

“Are you going to leave us?” asked the sculptor. 

“Yes, and you see I shall feel uneasy if you conceal from me the 
cause of your despondency.” 

“I thank you for the interest you show toward me, but I have 
thus far failed to analyze the cause of my worry and discontent. 
It seems to lie very deep in the center of my heart, and the effect 
is more keen after I successfully work out my ideas. While I am 
at work, and my ideas are slowly evolving, I am perfectly happy; 
but when the work is finished, my heart feels empty and lonely. 
It longs and hungers for something which I do not understand. The 
praises and compliments I receive do not dispel, but deepen it, and 
I feel wretched.” 

A deep sigh accompanied the last words. Ivanohe sat a while in 
silence, and then spoke very impressively: 

“Tell me frankly, do you find no relief in religion?” 

“Religion?” replied the other musingly. “Many years ago re- 
ligion seemed to bring peace to my troubled heart, but when knowl- 
edge destroyed my blind faith I turned against it, and now, when 
these moods come upon me I have no desire to live and am miser- 
able.” 

“I believe I understand you. You are traveling through a route 
that many and many have traveled before you. It is a laborious 
and weary route. The doubts, the inner wrestling .and stru^glor-., 
the threatening collapse of hope and faith. Ah! yes! But press on, 
dear friend. Light will flash before your soul when it may appear 
the darkest. Remember what Emerson says: 

“This energy,” or we may call it, “this light, or realization of 


— 89 — 


the Supreme Intelligence, or God in our souls does not come into 
individual life on any other condition than entire possession. It 
comes to the lowly and simple; it comes to whomsoever will drop 
what is proud and selfish, it comes as insight, it comes as serenity 
and grandeur. When we see those whom it inhabits we are ap- 
prised of new degrees of greatness. From that inspiration, or h'eal- 
ization,’ man conies back with a changed tone. He no longer talks 
witli men with an eye to their opinions. He is plain and true. He 
does not want admiration; dwells in the hour that ^now is.’” 

Ivanohe paused. He saw the young man sit with folded hands, 
a restful expression appearing on his countenance. In a slow and 
subdued voice he said: 

“Those words contain balm for my troubled heart. Do continue, 
please.” 

“T will. A passage which has proven to me an unerring guide 
and a source of strength and confirmed Emerson’s suggestion of en- 
tire possession. ‘And ye shall seek me and find me, when ye shall 
search for me with all your heart,’ and I will complete it with the 
following by H. Emilie Cady: Tn that day, when more than riches 
and honor and power and selfish glory, you shall desire a scientific 
understanding of your “spiritual” be ing, in that day will come to you 
the revelation of God in your own soul, and you will be conscious of 
the indwelling father, who is Life, Strength, Power and Peace.’ ” 

The young man had slowly risen to his feet, and gazing intently 
at Ivanohe, seemed to receive every word with a famishing heart. 

“Thank heaven!” said Ivanohe, “the dark cloud shall no longer 
obscure your clear vision. There is work for you to do; a redeem- 
ing and holy work, a work which, if done in the right spirit, will fill 
your life with an overflowing happiness which the world cannot con- 
fer.” 

“Explain to me one thing,” said the listener, with an entirely 
changed tone in his voice,” you undoubtedly perceive what is going 
on in me. The distressing gloom and dejection have entirely van- 
ished, and I feel a blessed calm and peace. Now tell me, is it 
your presence, or the effect of the words you have spoken which has 
operated this remarkable change?” 

“The power of the truth contained in the words has touched a 
responsive chord in your soul, and this change, be assured, will be 
permanent when you cast away from you every thought which con- 


— 90 — 


fliets with it. Give those thoughts no quarter, and they can never 
molest you. Now, I will take another look at your exquisite pro- 
duction and then bid you farewell. I hope you ‘will remember me in 
your leisure moments.” 

‘‘I certainly will, and it shall be with a grateful heart. Your 
visit today will mark an important epoch in my life. I feel re- 
newed and strengthened. I am ready to let my thoughts soar up 
higher than ever, in the realm of the beautiful and lofty, and if I 
succeed in producing something better, its coaception will be due 
to the hope and enthusiasm which the uplifting words and your 
presence have kindled in my soul.” Taking each other’s hand they 
parted, Ivanohe delighted with the sculptor’s noble ideas. 



-^ 1 - 


CHAPTER VIII. 

When Ernestine and Olga met on the appointed evening they had 
only received a short notice of Ivanohe’s departure for Germany. 
Ernestine had a letter from Miss Florence informing her “that her 
surmises in regard to the young couple were unfortunately true; 
that the young profligate scandalized the community with his reck- 
less disregard for common decency. He left the hotel and had taken 
up his residence in one of the fine villas, where his dissipation and 
nightly orgies were froAvned at and condemned by the better inhab- 
itants, and the sad part of it is the desperate condition of the poor 
victim. He has dropped the mask altogether and exposes her to the 
rude and insulting advances of his guilty companions. It is reported 
that her life has become an intolerable burden, which she does not 
conceal from him, thereby increasing his ill temper and abusive 
treatment. It is also reported that she has attempted several times 
to escape, but he frustrated fier plans. What the end will be no one 
can tell. I have gathered considerable information concerning the 
young woman, the poor, betrayed being. I wish I could succeed in 
saving her from a worse fate! With my best regards to you and 
Miss Olga, your very sincere friend, Florence.” 

“That is a sad case indeed,” said Olga, “and the saddest is that 
the case of that young girl is one among numberless others. The 
great inequality existing among the people is a perennial temptation. 
The inferior classes are dazzled and overcome by the glitter and pomp 
displayed by the superior classes. Ivanohe is correct in his views 
regarding the pernicious influence of fashion and personal adorn- 
ment. If the so-called superior classes would take the trouble to 
think they would realize how their elegant and brilliant appearance 
poisons the minds by aAvakening desires and longings which can 
only be satisfied by the poor forfeiting their honor and everything 

that is sacred and dear there are tears in your eyes, Ernestine, 

what is the matter?” 

“Do not stop your lashing,” said the girl, mournfully. “The 
pitiful case of that girl appeals to my conscience with a poignant 


—— 92 — 


remorse. Something impresses my mind that the poor victim is 
the girl I told you we met in Piedmont. The thought that our 
worldly example has caused the moral ruin of an innocent young 
girl!” Ernestine wept bitterly. 

To the best of her ability Olga tried to console her, Ernestine 
diook her head and with a voice that sounded solemn, she replied: 

‘T understand and value the promptings of your friendly heart, 
but think for one moment of the wrecked life of a young girl, how 
one wrong step leads into another till the bottom is reached, and 
how many others will follow her! If her heart, which was pure 
and impressionable, should become hardened, it will exclude any 
ray of hope for reform. Olga, my h:art is d:ep]y troubled; this 
is the first time I wish to be alone; let me go to my room.” 

‘Tf that is your wish I will not try to detain you. Would to 
God that every woman’s heart were as noble and true as yours, 
then would frivolities and self -gratification disappear and make 
room for the qualities which raise human beings well nigh unto 
God!” 

‘‘Good night, Olga. I wish to collect my thoughts.” 

Olga, insisting no longer, led the girl out into the hall, where 
they parted. 

Ernestine hurried to her room. Her mother kept her supplied 
with abundant means and she began to draw plan after plan how to 
utilize them for the rescue of the unfortunate girl. She wrote to 
Miss Florence informing lier what she intended to do, and asking her 
advice. Before the time she looked for an answer she received a 
long letter from her. 

‘T do not suppose,” she said, “that you have obtained the cor- 
rect information through the papers, if you have read them. What 
I have feared has happened. Oh! how dreadful!” Ernestine’s face 
turned pale and her hands trembled. “In order to obtain the best 
information I had rented a room at the gardener’s cottage. My 
presence was not noticed by the occupants of the villa, as I was 
very cautious, and twice I caught a glimpse of the young woman. 
The last time I saw her she was walking fast up and down in a se- 
cluded spot. At times her sighs sounded like suppressed groans. 
She would wring her hands and then burst into passionate sobs. 
How I pitied her, how strong was my desire to approach her, but 
I did not dare for fear of being discovered. The orgies continued 


—93— 


almost without interruption, and night before last it was simply 
sliocking, the reports of fire arms, mixed with shouts and shrieks! 
The gtirdener and his wife were nearly frantic with excitement, 
my condition was not much better. I had hurried out of my room 
into the next, where I found the husband and wife, he trying to 
rush out while his wife made desperate efforts to prevent him. 
On seeing me she gave a loud cry of relief, and b?gged me to help 
her. Great God! she cried, as the noise out doors increased. Oh, 
don’t — don’t go out! I went to her and laying my hand on her 
shoulder, I said; Good Avoman, calm yourself. This cannot last 
much longer. I have a strong desire to go out myself.” ‘‘Oh! ! !” 
was all she could say. “I understand you,” 1 said, trying to 'sooth 

her. “There may be danger, but with some caution now, listen, 

everything is quiet and so it was.” 

“You know the gi'ounds well,” I said to the gardener, who was 

much surprised in seeing me determined to go out, and very well. 

Miss, he said 1 will be ready quickly, and shall take my gun 

for any emergency.” 

‘T hurried to my room and was soon ready. His wife did not 
know what to do. She was as much afraid to remain at home alone 
as to venture out in the dark, and finally we persuaded her to stay 
in the house, promising her to return as soon as possible. It was 
very dark as we stepped outside, and not being familiar in the 
place I kept very close to my escort, who would stop every mo- 
ment, straining his eyes and ears. 

“Did you hear that sound?” he whispered. I was listening very 
intently, and I thought I heard a faint sound of voices. Catching 
hold of my arm and drawing me brusquely to the right (we were, 
as I could judge in the darkness, behind a chiosco) in a very low 
tone the gardener said: “They may pass by this place or they may 
stop in there. It is a comfortable resting place. Sometimes the 
guests sit in there until their carriages arrive. Now, we must not 
stir, some one is coming.” He could say no more as the steps and 
voices were quite distinct then. 

“Confound the silliness of that woman and the stupidity of 
this idiot,” said one in an irritated voice, “wake up, I say, let’s 
shake him up. We can’t drag him along in this manner. We will 
put him on one of the seats in the chiosco close by.” “I’lie cool 
night air will restore him,” said a high pitched voice, “turn on your 


— 94 — 


left, there is the entrance.” They went in, a flash of light appeared, 
and the first speaker said: “I see where the seats are,” and in they 
went. ‘‘There now,” he continued, “I feel a great relief. It is 
now nearly half past two and we will not have to wait long.” 
There was a deep silence, only the heavy breathing of the third 
person could be heard. “Lucky for us all,” the first speaker began 
again, “that this place is far enough from every other inhabited 
one, or this disgraceful afl’air might have brought upon us the at- 
tention of the authorities.” “Let’s not be too sure,” replied the 
other, “I shall not feel easy for weeks to come. Can’t tell what may 
turn up.” “No danger,” continued the first one, “the principal actor 
was too big a coward! Did not even take the time to enquire about 
the result of that silly woman’s leap from the window — and like a 
mean and heartless brute thought of nothing but gathering his 
efifects, ordered one of the swiftest horses and off he went like tl‘e 
wind ! ” 

“By the way, how was she when you left her?” 

“I believe that a few hours rest will restore her. Her luck, 
and ours too, for think of the consequences if the fall had proven 
fatal! Her garments were caught on the limb of a tree under the 
window, and although she was badly stunned, I feel positive that 
she is not seriously injured. I must own that for quite a while 
after we carried her in her lifeless appearance filled us with ap- 
prehension, but before we left there was strong evidence of return- 
ing consciousness. 1 admit it was not right to leave her alone, 
but you know how anxious we were to avoid exposure, and be off 
as quick as possible. Had it not b?en for the impudence of this 
stupid idiot nothing of the kind would have occurred. I must own 
to myself that I feel sorry for the young woman, from her manner 
and actions it is evident that she is not an adventuress. She 
extremely beautiful, a beauty that in my opinion appeals more Id 
a man’s better than lower self. She was very unhappy and he 
would get awfully angry when she urged him to fulfill his promise 
to make her his lawful wife. She had been basely deceived, no 
doubt, and like many other victims, she may look with dismay into 
the future. Hark! There is the carriage. Now let us see if we can 
get this fellow on his feet. I wonder if he often drinks in this way.” 

“After a while we heard the carriage start, and with a great 
relief I said to the gardener, We will now retrace our steps and 


-95 


ask your wife to come with us. We must not let that woman alone 
any longer than we can help it. As fast as we could we went back 
to the cottage and after a short explanation the wife was willing to 
go. Our deep concern in regard to the injured young woman lent 
wings to our feet and in spite of the occasional warning on the part 
of the gardener, his wife and I hurried on as fast as possible. As 
Ave arrived near the building we saw no light anywhere and we 
stood still for a moment. 

“Now, if we knew from what window she jumped down ” 

the gardener began. 

“That wouldnT help us one bit,” rejoined his wife. “Let us go 
to the front door and if it is open I knoAV which rooms she used 
to occupy.” 

“Following her advice we advanced slowly. The beautiful 
grounds with the well arranged walks stretched out before us, and 
surveying it on all sides we felt sure that we were undisturbed in 
our errand of mercy. We were now in front of the broad, fine steps 
that led up to the Avide terrace with its handsomely carved portals. 
We folloAved the gardener’s wife, who had slowly opened the door. 
The darkness and deep silence did not affect the brave woman, who 
led the Avay. It Avas a study to me. All fear seemed to have left 
her noAv, and it was very plain to S2e that the only thought that 
urged her Avas to relieve the sufferer. The large corridors and stairs 
were richly carpeted, and as light shadoAvs w^e .went around noise- 
lessly. After reaching the second floor we heard sobbing sounds 
coming from one of the rooms. The gardener’s wife took hold of 
my hand and gave it a tight grasp and I realized at that moment 
the great suspense and anxiety of the good woman. I’ll try and go 
in first, she Avhispered, she knows me, but I am so afraid to startle 
her! She jumped up to the door and called her softly. Suddenly 
the sobbing ceased but no answer came. She called her again and 
there Avas a cry of recognition and we could hear her removing 
something as if she had barricaded the door. The door opened and 
in a trembling voice she said, oh, how merciful for you to come to 
me; this mortal terror Avould have driven me into insanity! 

“ ‘Are you seriously hurt, my poor child V 

“ T hope not. Something terrible has happened but I cannot 
realize Avhat. My only thought since I have gained consciousness 
is to escape from this dreadful place. I do not trust myself. If 


— 95 — 


I allow myself to think how my life has been degraded since I left 
my poor but honorable home and in consequence of that wrong step 
what my future life will be, a feeling of despair seizes my heart 
and the only ray of hope to me is to put a sudden end to it all!’ 

“ will call in a young lady, who, I know, will comfort you 
better than I can. My husband is here too.’ She did not wait for 
an answer but rushed out and taking both by the hands, she drew 
us into the room. The light in the room was dim, aind as I stood 
in front of her, sitting in a low chair, her face covered with both 
hands and sobbing bitterly, I was speechless. She appeared so com- 
pletely crushed. The good gardener’s wife, deeply moved, introduced 
me to her. She attempted to rise but did not succeed; my embar- 
rassment instantly left me, and begging her to remain seated and 
taking another chair, I sat close by her and taking one of her hands, 
I said: ‘Be of good cheer, we will make speedy arrangements to 
assist you to leave this place. I know one good, motherly lady who 
wdll gladly protect you. She will strengthen your good resolves.’ Her 
eyes full of tears, and deeply affected, she gently withdrew her 
hand and again covered her face. Crying aloud she spoke verv fer 
vently but I could not understand her. Knowing that the time was 
passing fast, and fearing that something might turn up, I said to 
the gardener, who remained near the door, ‘You will please look 
for something to convey this lady to the cottage.’ On hearing this 
she made an effort to speak and we waited until she was a little 
more composed, and then she said with a little assistance she would 
try to w'alk, and to please not lose any time. ‘Very well,’ I replied, 
‘we will now gather all your belongings.’ Making a sign to the 
wife, we soon filled a good sized trunk, asking her if there was any- 
thing else she wished to take. She answered that what belonged to 
her was in that room and she wished for nothing else. We next 
took charge of her, wrapped her up as comfortably as possible, and 
the gardener having lifted the trunk to his shoulder declared he 
was ready to follow the ladies. Our march was very slow at first, 
but gradually the motion braced the young woman up and safely 
we arrived at the cottage. The kind hearted gardener’s wife opened 
her best room and after she was comfortably put to rest we also 
retired. I could not think of laying down to sleep but quietly sat 
down at my desk, writing carefully everything I had witnessed. I 
wrote a letter to Madame Konrad, picturing to her the whole affair; 


— 97 — 


I also wrote to you, and then waiting patiently for the hour, to send 
them off I fell into a reverie. A light knock at my door brought 
me back to my every-day life. I opened the door and the good 
woman told me her husband was ready if I had anything I wished 
him to do. ‘Yes,’ I said, ‘I shall be very glad, and very thankful to 
him to have everything in readiness to start early to the villa, and 
I have a couple of letters to mail. How is the young woman?’ 

“ ‘She is asleep, but every little while we hear a moan of an- 
guish; it is a very restless sleep. Your wish is to start early; might 
it not be well to arouse her and ascertain if she is in a condition 
to undertake that journey?’ 

“ ‘Yes, please attend to that while I ’ before I finished she 

had already left the room. 

“After a while she returned and shaking her head, she said: ‘I 
hope my fear is not well grounded. She conceals her suffering and is 
determined to leave this place. She does not own that she is in- 
jured but says she would rather die on the way than remain here 
another day. I will go back to help to dress her,’ and hurriedly she 
left again. 

“When I went to the room the young woman was ready and 
her kind hearted assistant was tilling her: ‘You look lovely,’ and 
placed the glass before her, but without taking a look she gently 
pushed the looking glass aside and in a hardly audible voice she 
said: ‘I do not deserve the kind attention you are all bestowing 
on a wretched outcast!’ The last words were spoken with a ring of 
deep anguish and again she broke out crying bitterly. Stepping up 
to her with as much calm as I could command, I asked her’: ‘Do 
you think you will be able to ride with me to the villa of Madame 
Konrad?’ I noticed the deathly pallor of her beautiful face. She 
struggled to overcome her grief and said, while the tears rolled ‘ 
down her cheeks: ‘I am ready to go anywhere with you. Oh! 
Miss! Would that fate had been less merciful with a wretch 
as I am, and that I had been picked up a corpse last night!’ 

“You may imagine, my good friend, how I felt, and knowing 
that whatever I would say could not soothe her I mastered my own 
feelings and simply replied: ‘I consider myself fortunate to be 
able to be of service to you, and now we will partake of some break- 
fast and then start at once.’ I helped her to her feet and we walked 


- 98 — 


slowly to the dining room, but the stirring event interfered with 
our appetites so that we hardly tasted anything. 

“I now will close this letter and I will keep you posted, for I 
know you are interested in this sad affair. In a few minutes we 
will be on our way to the villa. Your sincere friend, Florence Du- 
rante.^’ 

It was quite dark when they took their seats in the vehicle. 
The young woman wore a thick veil over her face and her frequent 
sighing called Miss Florence’s attention and a feverish haste to 
reach their destination took possession of her. As they were draw- 
ing near she cheerfully turned to her and said: ‘‘Take courage, 
my dear, look at the beautiful scenes, and there, at our right, you 
can see the outline of the haven of refuge for your troubled heart.” 

“Ah! Miss,” cried out the poor creature with a convulsive 
quiver shaking her slender form, “are you sure that a stranger, a 
homeless and dishonored outcast, will be welcomed. Are there ether 
women as merciful and humane as you are? Ah! me! I wish I 
were dead.” Wringing her hands she wailed piteously. 

As Miss Florence was ready to speak aTady and gentleman on 
horseback, who had emerged from the thick woods on their left, 
passed by them, and before they were aware they were close to the 
massive iron gate which, swinging slowly open, they readily perceiv- 
ed that their arrival w'as anticipated. A middle aged man with a 
benign countenance came forward and politely asked permission 
to conduct them to where they were to alight. Miss Florence’s heart 
was beating fast and standing still for a moment she whispered 
encouraging words. At the beautiful entrance stood a lady grace- 
fully waving her hand and inviting them into the house. As they 
were ready to ascend the steps the lady noticed how slow was the 
motion of the veiled lady, and running down and apologizing she 
removed the veil and she was startled as she gazed upon the deathly 
pale face. Their movements must have been watched from the 
inside, for as the lady and Miss Florence exchanged anxious glances 
the door opened and Madame Konrad appeared with a silver goblet 
full of fresh water. 

“Oh, Madame!” began Miss Florence, but the lady, putting her 
forefinger to her lips, began to administer the water to the fainting 
girl, who revived sufficiently to be assisted to go to the room 
prepared for her. Madame Konrad surrounded the poor stranger 


—99— 


with every possible comfort, and turning to the lady who had 
assisted them, told her kindly to conduct Miss Florence to the libra- 
ry where she would join her in a moment. Away they went and 
soon Miss Florence was comfortably seated, her eyes wandering 
with admiring gaze at the rich collection of volumes filling the spa- 
cious room. Busts of prominent authors were placed in positions 
that seemed to suggest the idea that they enjoyed the intellectual 
atmosphere surrounding them. Miss Florence was remarking to 
the lady that this was an ideal plac3, when the door opened slowly 
and Mme. Konrad entered. The other lady withdrew and Florence 
rose to her feet. At a courteous sign from Madame she resumed her 
seat. 

‘‘Now, what i want to tell you is, that you have acted very 
wisely. The poor child’s grief and sorrow are profound. Do you 
know what has been the real cause that led her astray?” 

“I know very little,” replied Florence, “but 1 firmly believe that 
as soon as she recovers she will of her own accord disclose the cir- 
cumstances that caused her downfall. She has a frank disposition 
and from what I have overheard from the companions of her 
enemy she is not an adventuress, but the victim of a profligate.” 

“We will then wait as you suggest, and now, I will tell you, 1 
have formed a plan, and if you accept it, I shall be very glad, and it 
is this: That if you are willing you can make your home here with 
us. You will have free access to the library and any other part 
of the building that Avill interest you. You will have opportunities 
to meet people of distinction concerning their literary career, and 
I feel sure it will be a great advantage to you. May I ask you what 
particular line of ideas you are going to treat of in your new 
book?” 

Miss Florence’s cheeks crimsoned with a deep flush, and with 
a visible movement of hesitation she said: 

“It has not occurred to me before that the task I have under- 
taken may be too vast for one who has as yet seen so little of real 
life and whose experiences have been so limited, but, strange as it 
may seem, I am following an impelling force which I cannot resist, 
and by trusting in it the necessary material is furnished me. As 
I was listening to you a boundless horizon seemed to allure my 
thoughts, pointing to unconfined realms where appears the noblest 
and highest ideals!” 


L otC. 


--- 100 — 


The young woman’s eyes and countenance glowed with the en- 
thusiasm of a developing genius. Madame listened with an approv- 
ing smile, and after a pause she said; 

‘T will gladly listen to what your vivid imagination has pro- 
duced, and this evening, being not engaged, I shall look for you in 
this same place. And now, I hear the dinner bell. We will go to the 
dining room. On our way we wi.l stop and enquire how the child 
is.” 

Arriving at the door of the room Mnie. Konrad rapped softly, 
the door was opened and in low whisp.rs she was informed that the 
patient was resting very comfortably. They expressed much satis- 
faction and proceeded on their way. When they entered the dining 
room Florence was delighted. It showed elegance and taste and she 
was not a little surprised when she was introduced to the cook and 
the waitress. The cook, as filling one of the most important posi- 
tions in the household, that of intelligently combining the necessary 
ingredients for building and renewing the physical structure, and 
the waitress, as her able assistant. Florence noticed their pleasing 
and modest appearance and their faultless .manners. Mme. Konrad 
conversed with and treated them as equals and a perfect under- 
standing and harmony existed between them which was entirely 
new to the observing girl. When the repast was finished the lady 
accompanied Florence to her rooih. 

‘T wfill leave you now,” she said, ‘‘and will see you later in the 
library,” and with a light step she left. 

An air of great delight rested in the face of the young author 
as she found herself in the large room with large windows draped 
with fine lace curtains, the decoration of ceiling and walls so ar- 
tistic, the exquisitely painted pictures, soft carpets, easy chairs and 
a handsomely carved writing desk and a splendid book case filled 
witn volumes I i - ^ 

“Ah! what a difterence!” she exclaimed. “My former humble^ 
bare and cheerless room, and this elegant, tasteful and comfortable 
one. What a strong and inspiring iiifiuence it will exert upon my 
mind and life. Oh, how much easier under these pleasant surround- 
ings will my congenial work appear. God bless this good and gen- 
erous lady ! ” 

It was this young \voman’s habit to carry her work with her 
wherever she went. She opened a good sized package and began to 


— 101 — 


carefully examine its contents and when the time arrived to appear 
at the library she took it with her. When she reached the door 
she heard strange voices and at that moment the lady opened the 
door and, plesantly inviting her in, she courteously introduced her 
to a lady and gentleman; but the unexpected presence of strangers 
embarrased her very perceptibly, and in a whispering tone she said: 

‘‘Madame Konrad, will you allow me to retire?” 

“My dear Miss,” replied the lady, “this lady and gentleman 
liave read some of your writings and they are only too glad to be- 
come acquainted with you, and you will certainly feel stimulated 
to continue in your good work when you hear the opinions they have 
formed of your literary talent.” 

“Miss Florence,” said Mrs. Gartener, “it is very charming for 
one so promising as you are to manifest that rare virtue, modesty. 
]My husband and I have formed the opinion that you, by using your 
literary talent in the direction you have so far, will be instru- 
mental in doing a great amount of good. It is the kind of mental 
food the world is hungering for. We shall consider it a favor if you 
will take us into your confidence, but if you prefer not to we shall 
certainly not insist.” 

Miss Florence thanked the lady for the kind words and the 
embarrassment and diffidence disappeared. Mr. Gartener also spoke 
encouragingly and soon the conversation became general. 

“Will you allow me, Miss,” said Mme. Konrad, pointing to the 
package on the table. 

“If you think it worth while; but perhaps I had better explain 
first why and how my thoughts have taken this direction in my 
present work. Since my writings were published I am continually 
receiving literary matter. Among the many interesting things I 
have received I found two pamphlets which I read over and over, 
ajid every time my thoughts become so surcharged with views and 
ideas so entirely strange to anything I had ever conceived, I hardly 
dare mention it to you, it may seem so foolish.” 

“Please tell us,” said the three listeners at once. 

“I suppose you know as well, or perhaps better, than I do how 
the Europeans admire the greatest republican country in the world, 
a country with such great resources, its immense possibilities de- 
\ eloped by a free, industrial and intelligent people; but the money 
power has created an era of corruption, aggregating it in a few 


— 102 — 


hands and the true and honest patriots feel the greatest anxiety 
for the safety of their country! These last sentences caused a 
great stir in my mind. It is certainly an alarming symptom, and see 
how clear it appears reading Phillips Thompson’s plain expressions. 
‘This,’ he says, ‘is the question which now confronts the people of 
the American continent: Will the nation that defied kingly tyran- 
ny and overthrew the slave holding aristocracy tamely submit to 
see their institutions perverted, their blood-bought freedom de- 
stroyed and a system of the meanest and most hateful class-su- 
premacy established upon its ruins*?’ Oh! what horrible visions 
ot treachery, cunning and unscrupulous dealings appear before our 
mental eyes! What usurpation and defiance of the people’s rights 
and liberties must precede the fall of a mighty nation! The perusal 
of a ‘Free Thought’ pamphlet served as another powerful stimulus 
to my mind. I will quote a few passages, viz: ‘It is a historical 
fact that church dogmas have discouraged learning, antagonized 
science and retarded civilization. The church has instigated fear, 
invited persecution and encouraged Avar. It has been the prop of 
thrones, the friend of despotism and the enemy of liberty.’ Many 
other strong statements could I mention Avhich ha\^e caused my 
thoughts to enter into a new current, and, presumptions perhaps, 
on my part, I felt that the writing of this book might in some Avay, 
be it ever so feeble, contribute toAvard the uplifting and purifying 
of the social, economic and religious systems.” 

A quick exchange of glances and an intelligent nodding of heads 
indicated silent approA^al on the part of the listeners. 

“You certainly haA^e selected subjects, my dear,” said Mine. 
Konrad, “that Avould be considered a great task by the ablest minds 
of our time, but I do not in the least doubt that your book Avill be 
instructive, interesting and a credit to a young modern author. 
Since you began to explain AA’^e could plainly see the broad scope of 
your ideas. Workers are needed on every hand for the task of re- 
construction on a sound and scientific basis, and, I presume, Mr. 
and Mrs. Gartener, you realize, Avith me, how glad Mr. Ivanohe Avill 
be Avhen he knoAvs that Ave can add another able worker to the good 
sized list of bright champions.” 

“With the greatest pleasure will I notify him,” said Mr. Garte- 
ner, “and if you do not knoAV, Miss, I Avill tell you that Mr. Ivanohe 
is the guiding spirit of the great movement called the Brotherhood 


— 103 — 

of Reconstruction, whose ramifications are spreading over the civi- 
lized world.” 

Miss Florence’s face beamed with gladness and she answered: 

‘‘It has been my good fortune to hear from Mr. Ivanohe and to 
meet his accomplished sister, who is an intimate friend of Missi 
Palmey, my beloved benefactress. She also gave me a letter 'he 
wrote to her, feeling sure that it would assist me in my task, wbich, 
I acknowledge, it has. His views are so far-reaching and all-em- 
bracing, his ideas in regard to the spiritual nature of man are so 
new, and, I must say, so life-giving, that I refer to them when at 
times I am threatened with discouragement or doubt.” 

It Avas the turn now of the three friends to express surprise 
and pleasure. 

“It is no mere coincidence,” exclaimed Mme. Konrad. “The 
right elements are being drawn together in a most remarkable man- 
ner. This short interview has sufficed to bring us in close rela- 
tion, for I do not doubt that as soon as you acquaint yourself with 
the principles underlying this vast movement you will identify 
yourself with it.” 

“I will with my whole heart and soul,” eagerly replied Miss 
Florence. 

Mr. and Mrs. Gartener spoke words of hearty approval. 

“And now,” said Mr. Gartener, “taking into consideration the 
lateness of the hour and your fatiguing journey, we beg leave to 
retire.” 

Madame escorted them to the door, and, coming back, she said 
to Florence: 

“You will find that couple to be very valuable friends. Tomor- 
row evening they will return and there will be quite a representa- 
tion of people who have given many years of their lives to the in- 
vestigation of subjects that agitate the world, and I am glad that 
you will hear from their lips the many Avonderful discoveries made. 
Noav, in regard to the poor child, you Avill do me a great favor to 
inform her of the plan I have in vieAV, and I have explained to you. 
I belieA'C that you can, better than any one else, prepare her to enter 
trustingly into her neAV path of life, and Ave shall all do our share 
in assisting you. Now we shall retire for the night.” 

Very early the next morning the young girl aAVoke her assist- 


— 104 — 


ant with a frightened scream, and, trembling like a leaf, she fell 
into her arms. 

‘‘You have been dreaming,’^ said the lady soothingly. “You are 
all right. No harm can come to you. You see you are in a safe 
place,’^ and she passed her hand caressingly over the girPs forehead, 
which was wet with perspiration. Holding her breath, and with a 
wild look in her eyes, she cried: 

“Oh, God! I am persecuted.^’ 

.“No, no, my poor frightened child, it was a dream. You are 
under the safe protection of the good Madame Konrad.” 

The mention of that name brought her to herself. 

“Ah!” she exclaimed, as if being conscious of the situation, and 
unclasping the hands that held her affectionately, she threw herself 
on the bed, and, burying her face in the pillow she wept bitterly. 
Gradually the weeping ceased and once more her sorrow was for- 
gotten in undisturbed slumber. 

The opening of several doors announced to Florence the hour 
to rise from bed, and she did. As it was not very early her first 
thought was to go and see the young protege. When she stood at 
the door she heard a low conversation inside, and, knocking softly, 
the door was opened and the lady she had seen the day before cour- 
teously invited her in. She was glad to see the young woman look- 
ing so calm and resigned — a wonderful change, she thought. They 
held a pleasant conversation. 

“And now,” said Florence, “please tell us your name.” 

“Armida Foresti,” said the other lady. “Is it not a pretty 
name ?” 

“Yes, it is,” replied Florence. “After breakfast we will take a 
walk in this fine park and I will tell you many good things. You 
and I, Miss Foresti, are two lucky girls, let me assure you!” 

“Miss Florence, you deserve it, but I!” 

Her eyes quickly filled with tears. 

“You? You, my poor friend, have been unfortunate, but the 
keenness with which you feel it is a guarantee that in the future 
you will be a model young woman. Now, it is the wish of Mme. 
Konrad that, if you are strong enough, we shall all take breakfast 
together.” A cloud seemed to pass swiftly over the girl’s face. 
“Do not feel alarmed, you will not meet many persons and you will 
soon learn to love the good lady with the tenderest affection. Do 


— 105 — 


you hear the bell? Now we will compose ourselves and appear like 
two young women who fully appreciate the great kindness that has 
so abundantly been showered upon us ” 

Arm in arm they went in the direction of the dining room. 
The door was half open and as Madame saw them coming she went 
toward them. Miss Armida, following a strong impulse, hurried to 
her and falling on her knees, clasped and kissed her outstretched 
hands. Madame Konrad lifted her up and speaking in tender, 
motherly accents, assured her of the extreme pleasure in seeing her 
strong and able to be with all the rest at the breakfast table. Her 
sympathetic expressions and alfable manners worked like a charm 
on the over-wrought nerves of the poor girl. After breakfast the 
two young ladies walked out into the inviting, park-like garden. The 
morning was beautiful, the air was fragrant with the perfume of 
flowers and the singing and chirping of the songsters of nature fllled 
their hearts with gladness. 

‘"Oh! I feel so light and joyful,” said Florence. ‘T could shout 
for joy. Look at the beauty spread before us!” 

For a while they stood silent as if entranced, and then slowly 
they entered a shady path which led into a comforable chiosco. They 
sat down close to each other and Florence began: 

“Now, my dear, I will tell you that it is the wish of Mme. 
Konrad that you accept this as your permanent home — (a gesture 
of surprise came from Miss Armida) — Please do not interrupt me, 
but take a friend’s advice. Take the good things that come across 
your life; accept this offer, as I do, with a grateful heart.” 

“But what can I do? Kemember I am nothing but a poor, ob- 
scure and ignorant peasant girl!” 

“My dear, it is no disgrace to be poor, and you are not to blame 
if you have been kept in a state of ignorance. Here you will have 
the very best opportunities to develop and improve your mind and 
soul. Madame Konrad has a deep, perceptive mind, and she judges 
5"ou to be very bright, and she is convinced that not wickedness, 
but a strong love for the beautiful things has been the cause for 
your taking the wrong steps. Pardon me for making allusion to it.” 

“Did she really say that?” exclaimed Armida, her eyes widely 
dilated with surprise. “I must tell you my past.” 

“I would like to have you relate it in the presence of our good 
lady, and now let us go around for a little while.” 


—106— 


And so they did, and then returned to their rooms. About an 
hour later Florence went to see Armida and informed her that the 
lady would receive them in the library about 2 o’clock. At luncheon 
she was treated with the same cordiality and at 2 Mine. Konrad 
and her two protegees were seated in the library. In spite of the 
effort Armida made to be calm she was again restless. She had 
promised Florence to relate her past that afternoon. The lady 
noticed it and she said; 

“If it makes you feel uncomfortable to mention anything of 
your past, let us talk of something else; let the distressing thoughts 
be banished and your mind be filled with joy and peace.” 

The tender tone and words touched the girl’s troubled heart 
and big tears began to fill her eyes. 

“No — my — ^good — lady — you — have a right — to — know — who — I 
am — excuse — my — weakness,” she said, unable to control her weep- 
ing. 

Florence arose and went to her, saying; 

“Perhaps you would prefer to put it off for some other time.” 


— 107 — 


CHAPTER IX. 

‘‘No, I will be all right in a little while. It is not much I have 
to say. My parents are very poor and hard workers. I am the only 
child, and whether it is the unceasing hard labor or that they do 
not care for me, as far as I can remember I have always felt like a 
solitary being. I also had to work hard in the fields, attend to the 
cattle in the pasture, and you probably know what a peasant’s life 
means. One day I had to climb up a winding path where one of the 
goats had disappeared. When I reached the top I stood a while look- 
ing around in all directions, when I beheld a young man whose eyes 
were fixed upon me. The steady gaze produced a sensation like a 
quiver running from head to foot. I saw him twice at a distance 
watching me. A sense of great uneasiness crept over me every time 
I ventured out of doors, but of course nearly all my work was to be 
done outside. One fine morning I was sent to a hilly place to pick a 
certain kind of green plants that grow close to hedges. The ground 
was divided in little plateaux and held in place by rough stone walls. 
On the summit of the hill was a fine road. The day was beautiful 
and nature appeared in her most glorious mood. I arose from my 
stooping position and began to survey the lovely landscape, and in 

the delight of my grateful soul I lifted my eyes to the sky but 

great heavens! Upon what did my eyes stare? Away up on 

top of the hill stood the young man! I felt as if I had received a 
severe blow and ran toward home, almost flying for fear of meeting 
him. It was no more than two days later when, returning home 
from the field, I saw him again on an elevated position looking at 
me through something I learned afterwards was a field glass. My 
first impulse was to make a hasty retreat, but there was no possible 
escape. I pulled over my face my handkerchief and hid myself 
from his view. How long I remained in that position I do not know, 
but when I dared to look up he was gone. These experiences con- 
tinued for some time and they only served to intensify the fear 
which had taken control of me, his appearance would always be so 
sudden and in places so unlocked for, One day I was sent to a 


-ice- 


neighboring village to carry some of the products we were indebted 
to a friend. We were living in a valley and to reach the other place 
we had to go up a high tower and from that tower we reached the 
main road. I arrived safely at my destination and enjoyed very 
much the long walk and was nearing the tower on my- return home 
feeling very glad that no unpleasant incident had marred my little 
journey, but as I drew nearer to the arched entrance of the tower 
an uneasy feeling crept over me. I went down a few turns of steps, 
and, frightened, not knowing the reason why, I ran up again into the 
open air and then felt ashamed of my childish fears. Mustering 
courage, looking all around, listening intently, I tried to convince 
myself that the way was clear and I ran down the stairs at great 
speed, thinking of nothing else but to get out of the prison- like 
tower. Suddenly I heard someone rush down with the speed of 
lightning. I cannot explain to you how I felt. Dread and fear set 
my whole frame a-trembling. I was panting for breath and with- 
drew into one of the corners to get out of the way of whomsoever 

was flying down stairs in that way, but he he did not rush past 

me, but rushed upon me and held me almost fainting in his arms. 
I was like one paralyzed. I could see nothing but the burning Are 
in his eyes. I could not move nor scream. He drew his lips close to 
my ear and in a commanding tone said: ‘You must meet me in the 
chestnut grove near the village tomorrow morning early.’ Hastily 
he looked around. ‘Ah! some one! — You must!’ he repeated and 
then released me. As the noise came from below he flew up stairs. 
With the greatest effort I succeeded in regaining my strength and 
slowly began to descend the steps. The noise from below drew nearer 
ana when I heard the thumping of a cane on the stone steps I knew 
it was the decrepit old man known in the village as Uncle Bernard. 
In my perturbed condition I felt greatly relieved, but the command 
that I had to meet that stranger in that lonely spot kept constantlv 
ringing in my ears, and I seemed to have no will power to resist it. 
I was simply hypnotized. Of course, at that time I knew nothing 
of it. So, the next morning I was at the grove, and I felt as if 
nailed to the spot. He was there and quickly came toward me, but 
the same sense of fear seized me and I succeeded in turning around 
and was ready to run when he stood still and again I was compelled 
to face him. I could not sustain the look in his eyes. He took an- 
other step and again I shrank back. ‘I must go now,’ he said, ‘but 


— 109 — 


you must come again tomorrow at the same time/ I shook my head. 
‘But you must! I must see you. Do you know that you are ex- 
tremely lovely?^ Quickly turning the corner he disappeared. I 
(lid all in my power to free my thoughts from what had happened 
but in vain. I made a strong resolution not to go to the grove but 
the next dcay, in spite of my firm resolve, all power of resistance 
availed nothing, and there I was again, and he was at his post. Ibis 
time he paid no attention to my embarrassment. He advanced rap- 
idly, took hold of my right hand and slipped a beautiful ring on my 
finger, impressed a kiss on my hand and triumphantly said: ‘You 
will come again tomorrow.’ My perturbation was great but I no- 
ticed the furtive glances he cast around. Apparently he was afraid 
of something, and again he left. I wish my parents had not been so 
indifferent. I had full freedom to roam where I wanted and do what 
I wanted if I did my share of work. I reached home as usual, un- 
observed by them, and went into my room to examine the ring. How 
it flashed and sparkled; its brilliant, precious gems fascinated me. 
The following day I went to meet the young man as if I was impelled 
by the same power I could not resist. He had come half way and 
was sitting under a large tree and when he saw me he jumped up 
and quickly stood before me, holding in his hands a package, and 
said: ‘My dear, take this. I will be gone for one week and when 
I return I know we will be better friends.’ He pressed it into my 
hand, kissed me and before I was aware he was gone. I went home 
and when in my room opened the package and saw a number of 
dainty articles in silk and fine lace. My eyes feasted on those beau- 
tiful things. My room was so bare and ugly that when I took my 
eyes from those handsome things the contrast was painful. Every 
chance I had during the week I would go into my room and pass in 
review, touch and admire the lovely things, feel the fine textures, 
for my hands had never touched anything but the coarse home-spun 
goods. I spent the time like one in a dream and the days passed rap- 
idly, and, strange enough, at the appointed time I was approaching 
the large tree, where “he” stood, and said : ‘I knew you were coming. 
Now, listen. Come with me; I am rich. Come with me to a grand 
city. Y'ou are too beautiful to live in a rough place like this. You 
shall have fine clothes like a fine lady.’ He was talking fast and 
quickly took hold of my hand, holding it very tight in his. I looked 
into his. eyes and I felt as if they pierced me through and through. 


— no— 


‘Now, promise me to be good, and listen. I am going to start to the 
city and you must accompany me. Now, don’t say no! I will have 
a carriage in readiness at 8 o’clock this evening which will take you 
to the station, where I will meet you. You cannot, and you must 
not, cross my wishes. I know you will be there at the appointed 
time; I know it!’ In a low but commanding tone he said: ‘Look at 
me!’ Our eyes met and a peculiar sensation crept over me, and he 
said: ‘I know you will not disappoint me,’ and again he disappeared 
in the usual direction. I am not able to describe how I felt after that 
interview; his commanding sentences were sounding incessantly in 
my ears. As I was returning home, my mind filled with strange 
thoughts, seemed as if I could hear him repeat, ‘you shall have fine 
clothes like a fine lady.’ At the same time there appeared before my 
eyes what did not seem earthly to me, the vision was so lovely, — 
three young girls and two ladies, their garments so gorgeous I re- 
member I could not take my eyes from them. I had never seen such 
handsomely dressed ladies. Of course they were strangers and the 
last time I saw them was in the church and I assure you they looked 
to me like fairies! It was the first time, so everybody said, that 
such visitors ever appeared in that part of the country. How I spent 
that day is even now a mystery to me, and at the appointed time I 
appeared at the place where stood the carriage. When I stood near 
it the door opened and a lady came out of it and led me by the hand. 
I did everything that was asked of me and when seated inside the 
door was closed and off we went. When we arrived at the station 
the lady said, ‘I will take you where you will change your garments 
and be ready for the journey.’ She led me into a hotel where we en- 
tered a room — oh such a room! The lights were wonderful to me, 
who had never seen anything but tallow candles and smoky lamps. 
And the beautiful mirrors. Oh! how everything was so new! Upon 
the bed lay a fine traveling suit. ‘I will assist yon,’ said the lady, 
but the spell seemed to be wearing off and I was beginning to feel 
like one awakening from a dream. I asked her: ‘Where am I?’ 
‘You are at the hotel,’ she answered, ‘and we must hurry. The train 
will soon start.’ I was so dazzled I could not understand the situa- 
tion, and she handled me so easily that before I was aware she put 
me in front of one of the large miiTors and exclaimed: ‘Well, well! 
Who would believe that you are the same girl?’ My mind was not 
clear and at that moment we heard a knock and, without waiting, 


Ill— 


the door opened and the young man hastily advanced toward me. 
I shrank from him with a loud cry. He turned to the lady, said 
something to her, and left the room. She approached me and coax- 
ingly tried to have me put on my gloves. ‘I want to go home,’ I 
said in a loud voice which must have been heard outside, for the 
door opened again and the young man rushed in. ‘Now, do not act 
foolish/ he said, trying to take hold of my hand. I was then thor- 
oughly aroused. ‘Do not touch me/ I said. He fiercely gazed into my 
eyes but my determination must have in some unaccountable way 
counteracted the peculiar power he had exerted over me and abso- 
lutely I refused to obey him. He looked helplessly at the woman. 
She came to me and in the most insinuating manner said: ‘That 
fine gentleman wishes to make you his wife. You have come thus 
far, now you are surely not going to cause him trouble. Be reas- 
onable, or your behavior will attract public attention and cause you 
much trouble. He is your friend, and as his wife you are certainly 
to be envied. Do you hear? There is the train/ From every direc- 
tion in the hotel people were rushing out, everybody in a big hurry, 
and in the midst of the big crowd I was carried along, the woman 
having hold of my arm and the young man following close. I had no 
chance to say another word and was almost lifted into the coach, 
but as soon as I discovered that the woman was gone I made a des- 
perate effort to escape but the young man grasped me violently and 
hissed into my ear: ‘If you do not behave I will have you arrested and 
exposed as a bad woman!’ The fearful earnestness with which the 
words were spoken caused a cold chill to run through me. He forced me 
to sit down and for a long time I remained as if motionless. Oh! 
how wretched I felt! This is the history of my past. I never knew 
a moment of happiness. Again and again I urged him to fulfill his 
promise, but it made him furious. I was nothing to him but a pretty 
toy; how could an ignorant peasant girl aspire to become the wife 
of a distinguished and wealthy nobleman? I had made many plans 
to escape from that life but they were frustrated by him. His dis- 
sipated life frightened me. My misery reached the climax the night 
that in my despair I jumped out of the window. Why my wretched 
life was saved I do not not know.” 

“My good young woman,” said Madame Konrad, kindly, “you will 
bury the past and start life anew. You are endowed by nature with 
excellent qualities which shall be carefully developed and you will 


112 — 


become a very useful member of society — the right kind of society — 
and in doing good you will find the greatest joy and peace. I know 
we will understand each other perfectly. After you are thoroughly 
rested you will find everything in order to begin the neces- 
sary studies. This evening we will have a number of ladies and gen- 
tlemen who are studying the causes of the great confusion and tur- 
moil which destroy human happiness in this beautiful world. If you 
feel disposed to come and listen to their new and good ideas, I 
shall be very glad. And now, it will perhaps be well for you to retire 
and take a good rest, and I suppose that you. Miss Florence, have a 
good deal to do, and you can remain in the library where you will 
find everything necessary.’^ 

It was a remarkable assembly of ladies and gentlemen to whom 
were introduced the two young girls that evening, and what thej^ 
heard they did admit was something very new to them. One of the 
guests, having been requested by the hostess to touch upon his fa- 
vorite themes for the benefit of the young author and her friend, 
arose to his feet, and as an introduction, he took a rapid retrospec- 
tion, as it were, of the road the human race had traveled. He de- 
scribed in the most stirring word pictures the frantic attempts made 
in pursuing the ever alluring and ever vanishing chimeras called 
worldly happiness, and continuing said: 

“Mankind has been taught from childhood to feed their minds 
with the kind of food which, instead of building them up, has hopeless* 
ly — almost — hopelessly deformed their being. It was not surprising 
that, with teachings and examples so diametrically opposed to truth 
and wisdom humanity has suffered such great calamities ! Consider to 
what degree of excellency will the human family rise when it fully 
understands that the possibilities for its development are boundless! 
Think how quick the old traditions will crumble to dust and the 
race will obtain its glorious inheritance! The cruel attempts of the 
few in all ages to gain dominion over mankind has kept the world 
in a low condition and prevented the solemn union of the human 
family. Now the time has come to uncover all the evils, not to in- 
jure any one, but to open their eyes. Then everybody will see that 
wealth, worldly fame and ambitious cliques — success in these worldly 
errors — brings not only discord and suffering to the seekers but to 
the whole race ! Implacable enemies to the highest good of the people 
have always been those who have unfurled their blood-stained stand- 


ards over the nations. They were the world’s monarchs and the 
adherents and supporters of the thrones ! When true heroes arose with 
lofty views advanced thoughts and ideas they were persecuted and 
exiled. Arrogance and extravagance on one side, and submission and 
neglect on the other. Is it possible to elevate mankind under such 
destroying influences? [‘Mmpossible, impossible!” answered every 
one in the assembly.] From every part of the world we hear how 
the appearance of millionaires creates a condition to produce paupers 
and tramps. How newspapers are paid for suppressing the 
truth; how in some places the preachers are paid twenty-five thous- 
and dollars a year to dodge the devil and tickle the ears of the 
wealthy; how girls who go wrong are made outcasts and the males 
flourish as gentlemen. How very unjust to pay $15,000 dollars for 
a dog and to pay a poor woman fifteen cents for making a dozen 
shirts! The money power has become a gigantic power, not to bene- 
fit but to degenerate mankind ! With the destroying power of sword 
and cannon the monarchs have gained possession of nations but could 
those destroyers have carried on their work without the support of 
capital? Certainly not. Let us read history and we shall learn how 
these arbitrary authorities could not exist the one without the other. 
We are taught that ‘money is the root of all evil.’ Have we not dis- 
covered the truth of it yet ? Has it not been sufficiently proven that 
capital is the cause of wars? That capitalists bribe legislatures and 
juries ? That capitalists sneer at justice and despise the truly noble and 
worthy inhabitants of the world, which are the working people, and 
call for the strong militia to shoot them down if they do not submit to 
their unjust demands which cause oppression and suffering? The great 
Reconstructive Movement is carrying on an enormous amount of 
work to enlighten and prepare the people to prevent the threatening 
bloody revolution, but there should be no wonder if at times it be- 
comes a little scared when it sees and hears that the Destructive 
Movement boasts of being far ahead; that it sees clearer than any 
other movement that the world is diseased,' and it repeats what other 
revolutionists have said, that ‘only by drawing out the bad blood 
can its health be restored,’ and with an infuriated cha<?a after plu- 
tocracy and aristocracy it will create an awful reign of terror, an- 
other bloody, fratricidal strife, for, are we not all brothers? They 
stir up the people’s minds by telling them great truths — that this is 
the age of progress and adv^^ncement, that everything is hastening 


— 114 — 


on to perfection in the sciences and the arts, and that only through 
the obstinacy of the domineering class is the great human family pre- 
vented from obtaining their stupendous and Divine Rights! Can 
mankind, they repeat again and again, become conscious of their 
glorious possibilities as long as their enemies support and maintain 
the present system, and do not allow them to become free from 
every form of bondage ? By this barbaric system do they not prevent 
them from working out their own salvation? My good friends, I 
know you will admit that the Destructive Movement presents many 
great truths, but their remedies — God deliver us from them — will 
accomplish nothing but renew what other terrorists have done in the 
past, lay down the countries, destroyed and bleeding, at their feet! 

‘‘Oh! how often we hear that the public is to blame for all the 
existing evils; that if it would disapprove them they would be abol- 
ished and everything degrading would be eliminated from the earth. 
I say, and every true reformer will agree, that whosoever blames the 
public are either the public’s enemies or superficial observers. Do we 
not know that the ‘self-established authorities’ denied the freedom 
of thought and the sublimest convictions of the Saviors of the world 
wdio were willing to sacrifice their lives in order to elevate the minds 
of the public? How can the public disapprove the evils when it is de- 
nied the necessary enlightenment of the mind in order to distinguish 
the good from the evil? One of the most abominable and destructive 
powers on earth ha^ always been despotism! That has always been, 
and is today, the source and foundation of the social system which 
prevents the human family from understanding the meaning of that 
lovely and saving sentence which is: ‘The Fatherhood of God and 
the Brotherhood of Men!’ This is one of the principles which fills 
the souls of the members of the Reconstructive Movement with the 
undying brotherly love which makes them discern how today the 
money power rules the world and which produces so many paupers 
and criminals, and, therefore, seeing the extreme necessity of appeal- 
ing to human intelligence and morality, they are carrying on a won- 
derfully reformatory work. They know that to raise the human 
family to a superior condition they must have superior environments. 
We hear that some reformers say: ‘We can reach out for purer air 
and more sunlight by declining to live in dark and dingy places,’ and 
we say, yes, when the Reconstructive Movement shall take the place 
of the present competitive system. They tell the public to keep the 


— 116 — 


blood purer and healthier which is necessary for the proper sup- 
port and functioning of the body; how necessary it is to set apart 
from one-half to one hour daily for intelligant physical exercise, suf- 
ficient to strengthen and keep in good order all the bones, tendons, 
ligaments, nerves, muscles and cartilages of the body, and train the 
lungs to take in a greater quantity of pure, wholesome air than is 
done now; that many, very many, men and women of our time are 
only half alive; that they have but a very imperfect control over the 
body and its functions because of lack of knowledge. They tell the 
people that they must learn what injurious chemical changes are pro- 
duced in the body by anger, worry, envy, hatred and jealousy. Good 
heavens! I must exclaim again and again, how can the great masses 
of the people obtain all these good things under the present system? 
If those reformers sincerely desire to raise the human family to that 
superior condition, let them, in the name of God, understand that they 
must have superior environments ! I would like to ask those reformers 
if they really keep posted and informed of what is going on in the 
world. If they do not they are not reformers and I wish that among 
so many other facts they would read ‘A Doctor’s View,’ which is a 
vivid chronicle, as it is stated, of the times in which we live. In part 
he says: ‘It stands that corporations have no souls. Compress a 
corporation into two or three individuals and it is found that these 
have less of soul than pertains to even a larger corporation. When the 
functions of a corporation have been converged into a single individ- 
ual, he is certain to become a heartless monster — a cold blooded 
beast of prey.’ This is brutally exemplified in that most atrocious 
form of slavery — child labor. Now, we know all about the pitiful 
condition of the people on this part of the world, and what increases 
our anxiety is when we read of the cruel method of murder for 
money which is carried on in a great republic on the new continent! 
Is it not plain enough that under the present system no country on 
earth can be saved from the unjust and oppressive powers? In 
factories, we are informed, children from the age of eight or nine 
to fifteen are forced to toil from ten to sixteen hours a day. All these 
hours their developing nervous systems are racked and torn by the 
num and grind and racket of machinery and their tender lungs are 
saturated with lint and dust. That not more than one in ten of them 
ever reach maturity. That utterly robbed of the necessary 
privilege of play, the benefits of school and social oppor- 


— -lie— 


tunities, they become old and withered before they reach their teens. 
An authoritative writer who has personally investigated the subject, 
says that four out of five of these children die within five years after 
having entered the service. Oh! my good friends, we do not approve 
but condemn the remedies presented by the Destructive Movement, 
but what are we to think of the other reformers who— perhaps not 
knowing better — are causing so great a hindrance to the progressive 
march of the human race? Would the hearts of the reformers who 
tell the public to keep the blood purer and healthier not be moved, 
and would they not willingly try, as does the Reconstructive Move- 
ment, to make it possible for the people to live a more perfect life? 
Is it possible that reformers of any kind, if they are really reformers, 
and sincerely investigate and become convinced that the injurious 
chemical changes produced in the body are a natural result of the 
wrong system under which we are living, would they not be more 
than willing to adopt the principles of a movement which alone can 
reconstruct the social system on a scientific, humanitarian, and, there- 
fore, a perfect basis? Can the most useful class on this globe — ^the 
working class — be free from worry, and what is worse, anger and 
hatred, when cruelly treated as they are? Do we not hear how large 
masses of the useful toilers — the miners, for instance — are not suffi- 
ciently protected by their employers, and from medical testimony we 
know that a large number of cases in their practice are toilers burn- 
ed by powder and oil explosions? How they generally find pieces of 
coal driven into their bodies, and many other injuries caused by fall- 
ing roofs where the victims sustained even broken backs! If suffi- 
cient protection were given them, the doctor says, it would prevent 
such accidents, and the poor victims, although willing to pay the doc- 
tor’s bills, cannot, as their wages are not sufficient to enable them to 
live! [“Oh! the horrible system,” exclaimed many in the assembly.] 
It is horrible, for they are treated by their fellow beings, as one paper 
says, worse than a herd of swine! The ambulance service, declared 
the doctor, is simply terrible. Those vehicles are kept in the mule 
stables and every ambulance in the great region is a mass of infection, 
bringing disease and death to those carried in them. If all the re- 
formers were really in touch with the great, great mass of the work- 
ing people they would soon show the finest examples of their unsel- 
fishness and join the glorious Reconstructive Movement! Think, my 
good friends, how a new earth will appear when its saving principles 


— 117 — 


will be put into practice; when paupers, the shadows of the million- 
aires not only, but the idlers belonging to that class as well, will have 
to disappear; when all the good things needed and belonging to 
every human being will be equally distributed. No longer will the 
few oppress the many, but, on the basis of love and justice, will tri- 
umph the spirit of good will and universal brotherhood! The Kecoii- 
structive Movement plainly shows that selfishness has induced the 
few to take possession of the means of the people’s livelihood, and, 
not satisfied with that important part, in order to maintain their un- 
just power, they are determined to control the government, the press, 
the pulpit and the schools, and reduce the large human family to a 
state of intellectual, physical and social inferiority — a state of abom- 
inable slavery! 

“I will recite a poem written by Maude Abbey, entitled, ^Con- 
trasts.’ You know, we receive papers from every country. 


THE USELESS. 


An emperor sat in a sumptuous room 
’Neath the chandelier’s mellow glow. 
While close drawn curtains of richest weave 
Shut out the frost and snow. 

The fragrant air is warm and still; 

Rare pictures adorn the walls; 

Priceless statues and works of art 
Enrich the marble halls. 

His hands, so slender, small and white. 

No useful toil have known; 

Sheltered by those whose craven hearts 
Fear the shadow of a throne — 

The shadow that has held the race 
For ages ’neath its ban. 

The emblem of a dying creed — 

The rule of man by man. 


- 118 — 


THE USEFUL. 


The factory girl, as night comes down, 

Turns home with weary feet; 

Her frail form cowers and shrinks in vain 
From the pitiless wind and sleet. 

The room is dark, the fire is out. 

Her friends are far away; 

The rent is due, and so she spends 
The pittance she earned today. 

The rent must come. From the cruel street 
She shrinks with- a nameless dread. 

For food and fuel she needs must wait. 

She supperless goes to bed. 

In the darkness of that cheerless room, 

A life is wrecked tonight. 

With breaking heart she sells herself 
For a little warmth and light. 

Which is worth the most, the useless king. 
Surrounded by wealth untold, 

This relic of an outgrown past. 

Or the maiden’s pure, white soul? 

Armies and navies, kingdoms and powers. 

With their tinsel and trumpet blare. 

Are not worth one throb of the girl’s pure heart 
Ere it broke in wild despair! 


“We know that tlie air is present everywhere and that every liv- 
ing being has the right to breathe it, and without it it is impossible 
to exist. It is given by the creator free to all. It is exhaustless, 
and some tell us as a great truth that we ought to be thankful that 
tlie air is for us, and for all! We know that food, clothes and shel- 
ter are as necessary for our existence as is the air, and the Wise 
Creator has given free to all the mother earth, which He fills with 
the necessary life to produce the food and everything needed by hu- 
man and other living creatures. Now, then, is it right, is it the will, 
and can it be approved by the Wise Creator, that the mother earth, 


— 119 — 


which is as indispensable and necessary for existence as is the air, 
shall be controlled and owned by a few? We hear the true and con- 
soling sentences that ‘Nature is so kind, so beautiful and so good/ 
The 

‘Rieh, apple -blossomed earth’ 

is sufficient to all. But we all know that man, who is greedy and 
mean and stingy, has caused in the past, and is causing at present, 
the wrong conditions on the beautiful earth! There is no exag- 
geration. You will admit that it is only the plain truth that today, 
as in the past, as the true reformers point clearly out ‘The eco- 
nomic interests of the capitalist class dominate the entire social 
system, the lives of the working class — the useful class — are reck- 
lessly sacrificed for profit; that they foment wars between nations, 
and the destruction of whole races is sanctioned in order that the 
capitalists may extend their commercial dominion abroad and have 
their supremacy at home ! ’ Is it right, my good friends ?” 

“It is wrong, wrong and sad!” replied the audience. 

“It is wrong, wong and sad,” repeated the speaker, “but let our 
souls be filled with confidence and let us trust in the power of the 
Wise Creator that the principles of the Reconstructive Movement 
will illumine the minds of the capitalists and when converted and 
strong enough to enter into the right path they will honestly and 
sincerely admit what the true brotherhood claims: That there will 
be capital but no capitalists; workers, but no wage workers; mas- 
ters, but each one will be master of himself; servants, each serving 
all and all serving each on the basis of equality and in the spirit of 
brotherhood and good will. That there will be no neglect of science 
and art and literature and useful knowledge. That no scientific gen- 
ius will be buried in the slums, for slums will disappear; no artistic 
longings smothered in sweat shops, for they also shall be abolished. 
That the genius of the race will expand and grow because 
universal service will make it possible. Every individual will per- 
form the work for which he or she is naturally fitted and machinery 
will be used to lighten labor and increase the comforts of all the 
producers of the useful and beautiful things, and when the mother 
earth shall be as free for the benefit of all, as the omnipresent and 
indispensable air, then labor will be as pleasant and as necessary 
as is the breathing of the pure atmosphere. The Reconstructive 
movement is calling the world’s attention to the great necessity of 


• 120 — 


appealing to and enlightening women; it understands the meaning 
of the ancient symbol that ‘through woman the world fell, and 
through woman it shall be redeemed.’ No permanent change for the 
better can be expected unless every bondage and shackle which from 
time immemorial have been forged to produce the mental stagna- 
tion in that portion of the human family from which depends in the 
largest measure the destiny of the race, are broken! Who will reap 
the benefits, the treasures of the unfoldment of woman’s physical, 
intellectual and spiritual attributes? The human race, the human 
family, my friends! We already have a great proof. Think and re- 
joice how much good have already accomplished the women in the 
great republic across the Atlantic ocean. Did they wait for men to 
set them free? No! Like heroines called forth by the twentieth 
century they have almost single handed battered down the hoary and 
rugged battlements erected and cemented by the most tenacious and 
unyielding materials, intolerance, prejudice and tyranny! Again and 
again we are told by the best thinkers that nothing gives greater 
promise and assurance for the future than the fact that women are 
achieving physical, intellectual and spiritual liberty. With their il- 
lustrious minds and hearts they will defend the innocent; full of 
benevolence toward every human being, they will be the great help- 
ers to fill the world with peace and harmony; they will be useful 
and faithful in performing the duties necessary to bring the blessed 
renewal of the present state of affairs.” 

The closing sentences were spoken with so great intensity of 
feeling that every one present was thrilled with a sweet fascination. 
For a little while after the speaker had taken his seat Miss Florence 
retained her intently listening position, then slowly she arose 
and said: 

“Allow me to express to you my deeply felt gratitude for the 
privilege of listening to your very instructive speech. I cannot ex- 
plain what I have gained in any other way than by saying that a 
new horizon appears in my inner vision. The mist, that at times 
would obscure some of the most brilliant flights of the imagination 
has vanished. A heretofore unknown trust and strength arises 
within me. Every word you have spoken I shall treasm*e in my 
heart. They contain volumes of suggestions from which to draw 
ever new and great ideals. Again, please accept my best thanks.” 

The gentleman politely arose and bowed, saying he felt honored 


— 121 — 


and happy at the hearty appreciation of his weak effort. Several of 
the other guests spoke and the meeting was declared very instruc- 
tive, attractive and useful. When the assembly retired Florence and 
Armida walked together to their rooms, their minds seemed so filled 
with the many new ideas that their eyes apparently expressed more 
than words could have done if loudly spoken. They silently held 
each other’s hands and whispering good night and with a friendly 
grasp, they retired. 

When Florence entered her room her first thought was to write 
a letter to her friend Ernestine. In glowing terms she described every 
experience since they left the gardener’s home and also wrote the 
history as given by the young girl. She looked at her watch and in 
a rather loud voice said : “It does not matter how late it is, I must write 
to my good friend. It is to her I owe the happiest moments of my 
life. How happy she will be when she positively knows that this 
dear girl has found a refuge and is protected from a world which 
could have had nothing to offer her but a life of shame.” 



— 122 — 


CHAPTER X. 

The next morning when they assembled in the dining room 
Mme Konrad congratulated the two young girls, as they appeared so 
charming and fresh looking. 

‘T feel so happy,” said Florence. “My soul is still permeated 
with the aroma of life which emanated from the new and good 
ideas so vividly expressed by the gentleman and your other guests 
last evening. Tell the lady how you feel, Armida, you can say much 
in a simple sentence.” 

Armida’s face turned into a crimson color as she looked at 
the good lady, who was kindly^ smiling. She overcame the embar- 
rassment, and although a little timid looking, she said: 

“My generous benefactress, the change in my life is so great, 
everything is so entirely new to me, that I feel as if I am in a 
new world! It seems almost too good to be true. Oh, my good 
madame, I do not deserve so much happiness!” 

“Yes, you do,” quickly replied Mme. Konrad, “and everybody 
else does, and everybody will be happy when we shall have 
the new social order of which you gained some good ideas last 
evening, and remember the important mission which is devolving 
upon women if human happiness is to appear in its reality.” 

“What a glorious mission,” exclaimed Florence, clasping her 
hands enthusiastically together. “Will you kindly permit me to 
see you this afternoon?” 

“I shall be glad to have you come to the library at half past 
two, and if that interview will benefit Armida, bring her with you.” 

“Thank you,” said both girls at once. 

At the appointed hour the two girls were in the library. Mme. 
Konrad opened the conversation by complimenting Armida for the 
rapid progress she was making in her studies and the pleasant feel- 
ing she experienced in receiving the favorable report from her 
teachers. “Do not look embarrassed, my dear, that is just as it 
should be, and now, I will listen to you. Miss Florence.” 

“I would not dare to broach this subject,” said Florence, “if it 


123 — 


were not that I am convinced that there is something for me — or us/^ 
she said, glancing at Armida, ‘'to learn. Pardon me if I come 
straight to the point. It has surprised me and continually causes 
me to reflect a great deal about the manner in which you deal with 
your — may I say — servants.’^ 

Pleasantly smiling Mme. Konrad said: “No, not servants, but 
co-workers. I am glad that your attention has been drawn to this 
important phase of our life. We are living under a system that is 
not natural, and therefore radically unjust. You have experienced 
the bitter task of earning a living as a domestic servant. In 
the first place, it was not your natural vocation, and that is the 
case with numberless thousands, but there is at present a very 
hopeful sign, and that is, that the more women gain independence 
of spirit through broad and extensive knowledge, the more difficult 
becomes the so-called servant question. Their independent spirit 
rebels at the idea that they must wear the livery of inferiority, 
and that is right; but you will notice how the press calls the mis- 
tresses’ attention that the livery of inferiority — the cap and apron 
— must be arranged to be worn from the very first, or there will be 
opposition to it, and trouble. Men and women engaged in the great 
reform movement advocate a radical change in this, as in every 
other present social arrangement. They do not believe in dividing 
the human family into classes. They believe in establishing jus- 
tice, pure and simple, so that all will have the same rights, based on 
the immortal principles of the ‘Fatherhood of God and the brother- 
hood of man,’ which will cleanse the world from the parasites and 
non-producers who are feeding on the hard toil of the helpless pro- 
ducers. 

“In this old continent social classes have been and are founded 
on aristocratic lines, pretending to be nobler and superior beings, 
having established through, cruel and bloody conquests forms of 
hereditary government. In the new continent social classes are 
appearing, claiming superiority because founded upon great wealth. 
The stronger factors in that unholy arrangement, if you pierce 
under the surface you will discover, are women. The reformers in 
that part of the world see clearly that their unbridled ambition 
causes them to barter in wedlock. The millions, the piles of wealth 
extorted from the wealth producers of their country, they unblUsh- 
ingly barter for empty title of nobility. It is sad and dangerous 


— 124 — 


that the daughters of the great American patriots are disgracing 
themselves and humiliating a country that ought to be held up 
high for having freed itself from the useless and parasitical class 
and thereby restrained the passions and crimes of the monarchs of 
the earth in their blessed land. The system I hav> adopted works 
very harmoniously, as you have noticed. Every assistant I need 
is not considered an inferior being, and therefore they take interest 
in their share of work, and every kind of the work is considered 
respectable, because useful, and our inspiration is to seek our own 
in the happiness of others. Immortals, as we all are, we are one 
family. The present unequal and unjust social arrangement pro- 
duces a discordant, a false brotherhood. It is no easy task to 
emerge from the crude ideas and forms which the human race has 
held to for so many generations. Our strength and enlighteumcut 
comes through the faithful study of the true origin of our being, 
and the clearer the realization of this Divine Truth the easier do 
we find the fulfilment of the golden rule, and the plainer appears 
our dependence upon one another. I think you can see how the 
harmonious blending of the different activities in this household. 
The idea of master and servant is abolished and that of mutual 
helpfulness is substituted.” 

“I understand,” said Florence, “but do you think the world is 
ready to receive, to accept ideas so new and so opposed to the ‘es- 
tablished order of things?” 

“The world is accepting them as fast as it can. The beauty 
and beneficial effects of these ideas are attracting much attention, 
even among some of those steeped in worldliness, their ceaseless 
strifes are their own created tormentors ; and growing weary, they 
sigh for something better. They cannot help themselves in these 
degenerate days unless women change their wrong ideals of life. 
Modern science has made the useful discovery that women are far 
more aristocratic, exclusive, proud and fond of display than men; 
more craving for stylish surroundings, fashionable and gorgeous 
dresses, that it matters them less how smart they are but mainly 
how stylish they dress, which creates in them intrigues and decep- 
tions, and becoming a lady in that manner means unbecoming a 
woman, because composed of shams, pretencss and artificialities — 
which no true woman can practice — for women require virtue most 
if the race is expected to be virtuous. If women overcome the cor- 


—125— 


ruptive passion of luxury, then be sure that the greedy million- 
aires will disappear, then the flowers of the noblest sentiments will 
ornament the earth and there will no longer exist the division of 
the human family — it can no longer exist, because then every 
one will understand that the real treasures are the virtuous actions 
and the most delightful feelings are to do good and help one another, 
and then will the biologists’ claims be^ verified — that is, that the 
physical frame of man is such that his natural life should be about 
100 years, and that he should be in his prime at 60, while woman 
should have the flush of youth at 45 that she now has at 20. 
Understanding the important laws of nature we shall know’ that 
mental worry, envy, idleness or overwork makes everybody old 
before their time, and you will hear how the great reform move- 
ment will adjust everything and place the people under the best 
and most natural conditions, and then will the human race be re- 
generated, and how much lovlier, better and happier 
it will be! Now, you two are both apt scholars and you will greatly 
profit by these excellent opportunities, which will increase daily 
your desire to see every one of our fellow beings blessed as you 
are, and it will induce you to become ardent workers in the Recon- 
structive Movement.” 

The two girls felt the good effects produced in their minds and 
hearts by the wise counsels of the cultured lady, and heartily 
thanking her, said they did not wish to take any more of her val- 
uable time, and the lady replied that although her time was val- 
uable, she felt it could not be put to a better use than in exchanging 
thoughts and ideas that had a bearing upon questions and measures 
which could never be solved except through honest and impartial 
reasoning, and nodding a friendly au revoir she escorted them to 
the door, and, light hearted and happy, they entered their rooms 
and took up their different tasks. 

In the meantime Ernestine had received Florence’s letter, and 
also one from her mother. ‘‘How lucky,” she said to herself, “this is 
our meeting night. But who can explain this mystery? From this 
letter, coming from my mother, I receive a sensation which, if I 
should act upon it, I would lay it aside and never look at it again, 
while the feeling I experience from the contact of this other one 
I seem compelled to open it at once.” In passing by her friend’s 


—126— 


room she rapped lightly at the door, and at the invitation from 
vithin to come in, she said; 

“I will come earlier than usual. I have two good sized letters.” 

‘‘And I have one from Ivanohe.” 

“Good,” said Ernestine, “were it not for my task I would come 
in for a few minutes, but must go to work,” and away she skipped 
to her room. 

Early in the evening the two studious girls sat at the center 
table. Ernestine holding the two and Olga her brother’s letters in 
their hands. 

“If I had my way,” said Ivanohe’s sister, “I would read your 
mother’s letter first.” 

“Very well,” replied Ernestine. She opened the letter and “Oh.” 
she said, “A photograph! Who is this lady, I wonder?” 

She handed it to Olga while she began to read the letter. It 
contained nothing of much interest to the girls. It was mostly an 
enthusiastic description of the endless gaieties of social life, and 
the minutest details of elegant dresses and jewels. 

“Oh! how I wish,” wrote the mother, ‘\you had 

seen the magnificent garment worn by Mrs. A. W. 

Think of the lace flounces alone costing eleven 
thousand dollars; the drapings of sleeves and corsage amounting to 
five thousand, and a costume representing the value of $150,000. 
1 tell you it was enough to turn a jealous person green with envy! 
You may depend upon it, that lady makes a mark. I often wish 

you were through with your studies. Your father is growing Avon- 

derfully prosperous, and who could appear with more eclat than our 
only daughter? Of late, when everybody seems to have a mania 
to eclipse and out- do one another, I can hardly restrain my desire 
to put a stop to your foolish inclination. For what do you crave 
so much learning, anyway? It is all time wasted! In the elegant 
society to Avhich you are now entitled brain does not count for 
much. I am getting very impatient. There seem to be no kind 
thoughts for your foolishness in exiling yourself from a life replete 
with such variety of pleasures. Many of the most prominent and 
influential people insinuate freely that they would not allow you 
to indulge, as we do, but of course the people do not know everything 
that exists in a family. You would not be where you are were it 
not for the peculiarity — Avhich I hope you are rid of by this time — 


— 127 — 


whicli made your father so uneasy. , Of course, not for anything 

in the world would I mention it to any living being. I dare not 

mention anj^thing which alludes to it to your father. It casts a 
dark shadow over him, and this is the only reason why I patiently 
wait for you to finish your course. I am sure you will make up 

for the time lost when you return. I tell you that money moves 

the world. We are having imposing and entirely novel ceremonies, 
attended by the most exclusive and fashionable elements of society. 
We have coronations performed with the pomp and splendor equal 
to any court in European monarchies. You may well imagine the 
food for thought and talk that such occasions furnish to the for- 
tunate ones who move within these magic circles. Compare your duU 
existence with the gaiety and pleasure of our life, think how much 
you are missing! I thought you would like to see the picture of 
the lady who set every tongue in motion, arrayed as she has been 
in her magnifioent costume. I hope in your letter you will show 
a little more interest in social affairs than you have heretofore. 
Tell me what you think of the picture.” The rest of the contents 
of the letter continued in the same tenor. 

When Ernestine finished it she let the letter drop in her lap, and 
v. liile looking at it in an abstracted way Olga noticed a peculiar 
vibration run through her frame. She almost held her breath as she 
saw the solemn expression of her countenance. She opened her lips 
and slowly said: ‘Tt appears that David’s idea is true, that on 
the shoulders of the women of a nation depends the stability of 
society. ‘That our daughters may be as cornerstones polished after 
the similitude of the palace.’ They certainly are the cornerstones 
and pillars of the structure of civilization. It is stated that culti- 
vated womanhood is a blessing in any community, not as an orna- 
ment, but as an upbuilding and uplifting power, as a directing guide 
to society and life as a whole. If the statement is founded on truth, 
who can estimate the evil and ruin resulting from the wrong appli- 
cation of so much power? My poor mother, who was once so plain 
and unpretentious, has been misled by another woman’s pride and 
greed, and has caused my father’s honest heart to turn in the wrong 
direction. I know he is not a happy man! There was a time when 
we were a contented, a happy family, but what are we today? 
Oh, I see a distressing picture. I see the social body of my beloved 
tountry is deformed and consumed by snobbery and idleness. The 


— 128 — 


symptoms appear so violent as to cause apprehension, and nothing 
but a radical change will save it! Snobbery must cease and true 
democracy must take its place. The deadening example of the 
wealthy or idle class is producing the dreadful result of an unreas 
enable contempt for labor. Is labor despised because it is disagree- 
able? No! but because it is not respected! Because he or she 
v^ho earn their bread are excluded from the so-called best society! 
Oh, the dreadful picture! The American aristocracy constituted 
of sharpers, dead beats defrauding their fellow beings! And look 
at the glaring inconsistency! Look at the manner in which the 
money wrung from honest toil is misused. Shame, a thousand 
times, shame! My father feels guilty in the presence of his 
daughter, how will the sharp dealers feel in the presence of the 
Divine Judge! Will their ill- acquired money, which they donate 
to build churches, asylums, hospitals and colleges cleanse the ugly 
scars in their souls marked by greed and oppression?’’ 

For a while she remained silent, then turning to her friend, 
‘Tlease tell me,” she said, ‘Vhy, why is it that the gaieties and 
pleasures so enthusiastically described by my mother have no at- 
traction for me, and I would so gladly tell her that I do not miss 
anything; that my existence here is not dull, but filled with the 
sweetest and calmest happiness? I am very sorry my dear mother 
calls this foolishness, very sorry — please read now your brother’s 
letter.” 

Olga opened it and looking at the date she exclaimed: ‘‘The 
dear boy He is now in Italy. The task he has assumed certainly 
demands that he acquaint himself with the conditions in every land 
under the sun!” 

Then she began to read: “My dear sister: Everything in the 
world seems subjected to changes, only one thing appears stationary, 
unchangeable, and that is the condition of the working people. I 
have been visiting the classic land, the land of fiowers, music and 
poetry, beautiful Italy, which has been reduced to a chronic state 
of poverty. There is so much that is at a terrible variance with 
the principles of right and justice that were it not that the new dis- 
covery of every phase of human misery appeals to our souls and 
makes our hearts be longifig for a happier, a natural condition for 
the great masses of our fellow beings, our courage would become 
shaky. Nature provides everything necessary to transform this 


— 129 — 


planet into an exquisitely beautiful living place for the human 
family and everything useful and beautiful should be applied for 
some good purpose, and everybody should contribute their full quota 
by the exercise of their energy and talent. Idleness should be 
branded as a crime. No one except those unable to work should 
be allowed to live on the toil of others; then would the heavenly 
transformation appear. I have inspected the places where the pro- 
ducing classes live, and nowhere are any improved conditions, while 
those for whom they must toil or else starve, never take a thought 
or care a straw how hard the toilers’ struggle is, and how joyless 
and monotonous is their life. I am at present in a district which 
is quite important for a careful investigation. Here is a large glass 
factory. I have visited the homes — or what bears the name of 
homes — and my heart carried away such a load of sadness and 
gloom which for days could not be shaken off. Clustered around 
the black, unsightly factory building are the huts of the producers 
of that indispensable article — ^glass. No matter how’ large the 
family, they are seldom allowed more than three rooms, if such 
holes can be honored wdth the name of rooms. Although they pro- 
duce the large, beautiful panes of glass, and roast their hands and 
faces at the fiery furnace, their rooms never contain more than 
one window, and some none at all. The fioors are of roughly hewn 
stones and the walls show the decay of ages. Some of the rooms 
have no floors and the ceilings are so low that grown persons can- 
not stand upright. The views out of the windows are old sheds and 
disagreeable things; nothing to stimulate a desire for better things. 
I have watched their toilsome work. How much industry and skill 
is required! Are they not rightfully entitled to more than a bare 
living? I assure you, my dear sister, that unless we take the pains 
of finding out how the producing classes live we become indifferent, 
yes, totally unconcerned, about the existence, the struggles and dis- 
couragements of the most worthy portion of the human family. 
Going through all these experiences I become more and more con- 
vinced that mankind would show forth its Divine Nature if given 
the right conditions in which to thrive. I am making a careful in- 
vestigation concerning the relation between the employer and em- 
ployes, and I know you agree with me that not against the people, 
but against the system which causes the degeneracy of mankind, 
must our concerted efforts be directed. In this particular case 


— 130 — 


the employer is recognized as a man of a very kind disposition. He 
is extremely religious and would undoubtedly be a model man but 
.his business is very extensive and he must employ superintendents 
and other officers. The wretched locality where his wealth is coined 
is not congenial with his nor his family’s tastes, therefore he sees 
very little and knows very little of how the toilers live. The super- 
intendent who comes in contact with them is a hard-hearted and 
hypocritical man. Through his cunning and sanctimonious behavior 
he has gained such an ascendency that everybody is afraid of dis- 
pleasing him. At his instigation the wages have been slowly 
lowered, little privileges that were granted them under former over- 
seers, such as receiving a few candles, some fuel, fresh straw once 
a year for their beds, he has deprived them of even these. At any 
hour during the night one can see toilers lying around on the 
hard stones for rest; they prefer the bare ground to the dark, filthy 
holes assigned to them as their resting place. Some of the labor- 
ers in the factory earn so little that very often to season their 
meals they are seen scraping the rough looking things they call 
candlesticks to obtain the tallow, rancid and filthy, for their food 
condiment. I was standing one morning, filled with sympathy as I 
looked at the bleak surroundings and the cheerless countenances of 
the toilers, when my attention was attracted by the rustling noise 
of silk and the murmuring of many voices. I turned my eyes in 
that direction and my first thought was, ‘^Oh, what a contrast! 
Those are beings who go through the world free from care and ex- 
haustion, overwork and poverty!” A number of elegantly attired 
ladies, escorted by the superintendent, appeared and as quickly dis- 
appeared, as they showed their anxiety to get out of the unat- 
tractive enclosure. I made enquiries who the ladies were and 
from the answer I received I came to the same conclusions that my 
investigations always led me to, and that is, that the present wrong 
system will not, cannot be peaceably changed without the willing 
co-operation of women. In this, as in almost every other case, it 
is the worldliness, the extravagance of women which is at the bot- 
tom of the inequality between employers and employes. The em- 
ployer in this case is a very plain man, his habits are very simple, 
but the extravagance of his wife and daughters knows no limit. 
Their city, country and sea shore residences are regular vortexes 
where countless piles of money are engulfed. If the women were a 


— 131 -- 


little plainer and less worldly the toilers would receive better re* 
muneration; if they would take a little interest in the\ condition of 
those who produce so much wealth they could make their lives 
more cheerful and happy, and they then would have a chance to 
become better. I followed them at a certain distance to see the 
effect that their appearance would produce upon the inhabitants of 
that squalid place. Some of the men looked at them with open 
mouths and seemed to be transfixed, others ran behind boxes or 
boards where they could cast furtive glances without being seen. 
When they passed by the hovels it was surprising to see the ex- 
pressions on the faces of the wives and daughters of the workers. 
At some of the windows were piles of heads, one above another. 
A hashing expression seemed to be rushing out of their eyes! 
Again and again I ask, why in the name of justice are the useful 
producers deprived of everything that is beautiful? Why are they 
to be overworked, underpaid and condemned to a cheerless existence ? 
In this new century the fashionable ‘four hundred,^ who classify 
themselves as of no common mould, ought to realize that they 
create envy, jealousy and hatred, as well as a wild chase for gain, 
which so often leads to crime and madness! 

“Something very important has attracted my attention, and 
that is that the women of the working class are, as a rule, extremely 
church bound. I have seen them drop everything and hurry to 
church as soon as the bell rang, and they conscientiously 
train their children in that manner. The boys may outgrow much 
of it, but the church does not worry because the girls, when they 
marry, usually awaken and bring back the lost sheep into the 
fold. Can they do otherwise when everlastingly these credulous 
people are reminded that it is their duty to submit to their lot, or 
else they will bring down upon them the wrath of God? What I 
saw and heard in the rural districts of Germany is repeated here 
by the so-called representatives of an impartial God, who is too 
loving and merciful to behold and sanction an unjust division 
among his children; the God who is no respector of persons and 
who certainly condemns the arbitrary erection of superior classes 
demanding respect and homage from those whom they condemn to 
a life of ignorance and toil! While in Germany a friend asked me 
to visit a school where the girls were taught sewing and knitting. 
It not being customary for gentlemen to appear in the room I 


• 132 — 


asked to remain in the corridor. I was hardly seated when the 
girls began to appear, nearly all dressed in coarse and ill fitting 
garments. At the proper time appeared the servant of the Lord, 
a gold headed cane in his hand, his well fitting cloth suit and a 
heavy gold chain, his shining tall hat and faultlessly polished shoes, 
a strong contrast I assure you. He entered and closed the door; 
his voice was strong and I could easily hear everything he said. 
He approved the plain work that was done, but I shall never forget 
the harsh sound of his voice as he scolded one girl who was doing 
some embroidery. ‘Such foolish notions,’ he screamed, ‘must be 
knocked out of the heads of the girls belonging to the working and 
poor classes! What the girls belonging to the poor class need to learn 
is plain work and patching.’ It must have hurt the poor girl’s heart 
for her sobbing could be plainly heard in the corridor, but that did 
not soften the heart of the well-clad man of God, for he authorita- 
tively repeated, ‘Let this be the last time that I see anyone do 
anything but what I have ordered a while ago.’ No wonder, then, 
if from childhood the working class is taught that God has so or- 
dained it that it cannot escape from servitude! And when shall 
we see the blessed time when man shall no longer cringe submis- 
sively to a wrong system in order to live upon this beautiful mother 
earth provided freely by the living God for the good of all? I 
repeat it again and again, we shall see it the quickest when it shall 
be recognized, practiced and taught by womankind, for they pos- 
sess the moulding power which, when used in the correct manner, 
shall be resistless and permanent! I send you a few extracts from 
papers sent to me by the Brotherhood of Destruction. There are 
low mutterings and mysterious happenings not perceived by the 
uninitiated ones but full of meaning to the watchful and evolution- 
ary spirits. I will now close. Please . give my best regards to Miss 
Paliney. Your loving brother, Ivanohe.” 


—133 


CHAPTER XI. 

“God bless your brother,” said Ernestine. “There is great 
hope for the world when young men rise so high that neither frown 
nor disapproval of the world’s so-called best society affects thcni. 
I see those extracts are again from my native land, let me read 
them.” 

“ ^Child labor in America. — The wealthy owners of paper mills, 
planing mills and other manufactories live in magnificent man- 
sions. By the shore can be seen numerous sail boats and steam 
yachts wherein the people of leisure go out fishing and boating, 
while boys and girls from eight to sixteen years of age work as hard 
as they can in order to earn 33, 50 and 75 cents a day. Think, ye 
kind hearted, Christian people, little boys exposed to the cold — thirty 
degrees below zero — dragging their dinner pails after them, being 
too small to lift them above the deep snow! And what of their 
education and childhood rights? Next a trunk factory v/here girls 
were imported with the object of lowering wages — their want com- 
pelling them to work for about half what the men received, the 
proprietors living in fine mansions while the wealth producers live 
in shanties. The stench from the old, dirty rags in a paper factory, 
mingled with the smell of sulphuric acid and other substances, the 
(Inst which pervades the room like a black cloud is inhaled by the un’ 
fortunate toilers, who contract consumption and other fatal diseases! 
Xext a shoe factory, where boys and girls are the prim'', factors. 
Next a chair factory, where from a force of three hundred persons, 
one hundred to two hundred were boys from eight to fifteen years 
cf age! Oh, the wickedness of it all!’ 

“1 can proceed no longer,” exclaimed Ernestine. “My resolu- 
tion to enter the field of reform becomes stronger as I read what is 
going on in the world! My parents and their friends live a life 
which is hollow; they sacrifice substantial happiness and in vain 
they try to still the longings of their hearts by the means which 
the world approves. One hour of your brother’s unselfish ‘life is 
more replete with harmony and happiness than months of worldly 


— 134 - 


pleasures, devoid of love and sympathy toward our fellow beings. 
Xow, as we have a little more time, we will read Florence’s letter. 
You read it, please,’’ and Olga did read it, and when she got through 
she remarked: 

“Here we have a strong proof of what love and sympathy can 
perform. Florence has realized yojir noble act on her part — she 
saved another from a worse condition, and Mine. Konrad’s love and 
generosity heals the broken hearted and elevates a literary genius 
who will fill an important place in the great Reconstructive Move- 
ment.” 

“So be it,” solemnly added Ernestine. 

“Let us now retire,” said Olga, “and let us look cheerfully into 
the future; the leaven is fermenting and in due time the whole vast 
human lump will be ready to rise and be saved from all destruc- 
tive errors!” 

With a glad smile and a hearty handshaking Ernestine retired 
to her room. A few days later the two girls were resting under a 
large chestnut tree in the garden and Ernestine was speaking, 
eagerly explaining how she had read again Florence’s letter, and a 
^rtrong desire possessed her to visit Mme. Konrad. Their short vaca- 
tion was not far off, and would it not be profitable for them to bo 
present at some of those intellectual gatherings? Olga was more 
than pleased, and begged Ernestine to make the necessary arrange- 
ments with Florence as soon as possible, and so she did. When llie 
young authoress received the letter she was so glad that she ran 
to the library, where she found the lady. 

“Some good news, my dear?” she asked, as she looked at the 
radiant face of the young woman who stood before her with the 
open letter in her hand. 

“May 1 read it to you?” 

“Certainly,” replied Mme. Konrad. 

“I heartily welcome them,” she said, after the letter was read. 
“I shall feel a great pleasure to personally meet the sister of the 
worthy head member of the Reconstructive Movement, and lier 
friend whom I have learned to love for her good qualities. One 
excellent idea strikes me, and that is, the last letter I received 
from Mr. Ivanohe came from the northern part of Italy, and unless 
he is detained by some urgent business I hope he will accept my 
invitation to be here at the time that the two young ladies will be 


-- 135 — 


present. Now, let this be between you and I, if he can come it shall 
be a complete surprise on both sides.’^ Florence’s face beamed with 
joy as she listened. 

“Thank you,” she said. “I will notify Ernestine at once that 
they are welcome.” 

“Yes, and then you will assist me in planning every arrange- 
ment. I anticipate this to be the beginning of an important event 
which will be solved in the future, if my impressions are correct. 
I understand that Miss Palmey is very gifted, and also Miss Olga, 
if she resembles her brother. We shall consider ourselves very much 
favored to have a chance to come in contact with such beautiful 
souls.” 

VV^hen Ernestine received the letter she did not open it imme- 
diately. She had learned to analyze a good deal of the contents 
of letters by a mysterious vibration which emanated from them. 
The sensations she received from it were so delightful, so '•weet, 
that she told Olga when they met at the lunch hour to take it 
with her, that she would want to read it more than once, and they 
would talk it over at their regular evening meeting. 

Mme. Konrad and her assistants had frequent consultations, 
the list of invited guests grew quite lengthy. The name of the 
principal figure was always spoken in whispers. After con3i<lerable 
exchanges of notes “he” had succeeded in arranging his numerous 
appointments so as not to disappoint Mme. Konrad, and when she 
had his promise to be at the villa at the right time she relied upon 
it and felt at ease. 

As the time drew near Olga often noticed when Ernestine was 
with her that her eyes were riveted on her brother’s picture. 
Sometimes she would rise from her seat and walk to the spot vhere 
the picture was and stand before it as one lost in deep reverie. Olga 
Avould watch her carefully and one day said: “Ernestine, I am fully 
convinced that you are trying to solve some mystery. You do not 
mind telling me, do you?” 

“Not in the least,” she replied. “Where do you suppose your 
brother is now?” 

“He is to visit other parts of Italy.” 

“Well, then this certainly is puzzling. I see him coming in 
Ihis direction.” 

“You do?” 


— 136 — 


“His form flashes before my inner vision. I know he is coming.” 

“Oh, I hope he will, my dearly beloved brother!” 

The two friends chatted a little longer and Anally Olga said; 
“Onr next regular meeting will be at the villa of Mme. Konrad, and 
now let us say good night,” and they retired. 

The vacation time arrived and the two friends were ready and 
started on a very pleasant afternoon. According to calculation they 
were to arrive at the villa about seven o’clock in the evening. The 
journey was delightful and their hearts were beating fast as they 
saw from the distance the fine mansion and the fine, park- like 
grounds. When they entered the large gate Miss Florence came 
swiftly down the shaded path. The coach had stopped and when 
the two friends alighted from it they were caught in the arms of 
their delighted friend and the three walked cheerfully toward the 
building. Florence led them through difterent paths, studiously 
avoiding groups of ladies and gentlemen who were scattered around 
enjoying the splendid twilight of the autumn evening. Following 
their escort the two young ladies entered the beautiful mansion 
and were conducted into an elegant room where the hostess was 
waiting for them, and they were received so cordially that her great 
amiability won the hearts of the two strangers at once. They 
were taken to their appointed room and then Florence joined the 
lady again, who told her that everything was right. The two young 
ladies had arrived about an hour later and she was glad that she 
had been careful not to meet the gentleman, who was in the garden 
with the other guests. 

‘T admire your cleverness,” she said, “in having in so short a 
time, and without arousing any suspicion, found out his sister’s 
favorite song and obtained his consent to sing it this evening. 
Now, you will entertain the young ladies until you are given the 
signal. I will see that the guests will be assembled at the right 
hour in the drawing room. The greatest attention will naturally 
be centered upon the main figure, the leading spirit of the Recon- 
structive Movement. Everybody is interested in his personality. 
A man who has cast aside title and all aristocratic claims and de- 
voted his entire life to the betterment of the social conditions. At 
the right time I will mention the strong, prevailing idea advanced 
by the reformers who know the great role that music and song 
will play in arousing the dormant energies in the souls of the 


people. You know, we had decided to ask Armida, who is so ex- 
tremely fond of song and music, to sing first, but do not forget that 
we have cnanged that, and when you receive the signal, and as he 
begins the prelude, you will enter from the right side door where 
he cannot see you, nor can the young ladies see him until they have 
advanced about a dozen steps. Now, this is all, and we will watcl 
the result of our carefully prepared surpiise.^^ 

Florence went to her friends and Mme. Konrad to the large 
and brightly illumined drawing room. Soon the guests began to 
enter and the hostess noticed, as she had predicted, that the atten- 
tion was centered upon the Russian gentleman. After they were 
all comfortably seated he was asked a number of questions. His 
vivid descriptions, his faultless comparisons and his keen penetra- 
tion held the closest attention of his hearers. Mme. Konrad was 
watching her opportunity, which presented itself as the conversation 
had turned in that direction and he was expressing his gratification 
having stopped a few days ago at the beautiful city of Milano wnere 
lie heard for the third time the incomparable prima dono i, l?arepa 
Rosa, and from the depth of his soul he wished they could secure a 
large number of first-class singers. 

‘‘Pardon me,” said Mme. Konrad, “then with many other clear 
sighted reformers you believe that music and song will play a 
powerful role in the coming conflict?” 

“I do, Madame, most positively. In this age more than in any 
ether is the human heart receptive to the divine influence of mu- 
sic.” 

Armida was moving restlessly in her seat, and with a peculiar 
expression in her face she said: “Mr. Ivanolie, will you kindly 
favor us with a song — one of the beautiful Russian songs?” 

Everyone present expressed a great desire to hear him sing. 
He arose, boAved politely, and seated himself at the grand piano. 
When he struck the chords of the fine introduction the lady looked 
toAvard the door, gave the signal and soon there appeared the tAVo 
young guests, dressed in Avhite, holding each other’s hand, listening 
intently and moving slowly as if attracted by an impelling force. Obliv- 
ious of their surroundings they advanced to where they could see the 
singer, their arms encircled each other’s form, while the performer, 
unconscious of the silent outburst of emotions, gave vent to his 
feelings which the soulful composition called forth. The two girls, 


— 138 — 


clinging closely to one another, continued their slow approach 
toward the singer. It was a charming picture, the surprise and 
extreme delight depicted in their lovely countenances, and those 
present seemed to be under a spell, as if they saw an ethereal appari- 
tion. When he reached the grand finale everybody was thrilled 
with what they had heard and saw. 

Olga whispered softly: ‘^Ivanohe, my dear brother!’’ As if 
touched by a galvanic battery Ivanohe jumped to his feet and held 
his sister in a tender embrace. Madame Konrad took the place of 
Olga near Ernestine and soon introduced her first to Mr. Ivanohe and 
then presented her and Olga to the dlighted assembly. 

‘‘This is the greatest and most pleasant surprise I have ever 
experienced in my life,” said Ivanohe. 

Many were the questions asked and answered by the brother 
and sister, and Ernestine seemed unable to take her eyes from 
Ivanohe’s handsome countenance. Presently Miss Armida arose and 
with a fiushed face and eye^s glistening and animated, she said: 

‘Tn my humble opinion I feel . convinced that what the gentle- 
man said is true, and I think his desire of securing a large num- 
ber of first class singers could be easily gratified. There is a great 
deal of talent that goes to waste which could be utilized for such a 
grand purpose. There are a great number of young men and women 
in the hills and mountains of Italy who possess superb voices, and 
they could easily be induced to leave those uncultured and unattrac- 
tive places. There are voices among those neglected beings that 
thrill one’s soul. Ah, the beauty and charm of a fine human voice! ’ 

The young lady had spoken, being apparently moved by a 
strong impulse, and looking around a little embarrassed she re 
Slimed her seat and a strong murmur of approbation went through 
the room. 

“Now, Miss Armida,” said Mme. Konrad, “that you have 
touched upon that enchanting subject I know that everyone jjresent 
will be much obliged to you if you will favor us with one of your 
charming improvisations.” 

“I do not wish to appear presumptions, in fact I may not suc- 
ceed at all, but the exquisite song of the gentleman, the appearance 
of the two lovely young ladies and the pleasant surprise have 
stirred up my soul to a high degree, and — who knows — but I hope 


— 189 — 


it may be favorable for producing wbat Mme. Konrad kindly calls 
inspirational improvising/’ 

She arose and walked lightly to the piano. As she skt there 
playing softly, several times she lifted her head, her breath com- 
ing a little deeper and faster as her playing continued and seemed 
to pass from a sad appeal to an impassionate outburst, her voice 
was heard. The mournful tones seemed to call forth undefined 
echoes of anguish, a pathos rang deep into the hearts of the listen- 
ers, then an expression of stern resolve, then the struggle and fear, 
the smothered outcry of the half vanquished, then an almost super- 
human effort to repel the wrong — and next followed the outflow of 
a grateful heart, a heart conscious of having overcome it, and filled 
with infinite tenderness. The last stanza was strangely combined; 
it was dedicated to her native land, sparkling with love, caresses 
and pure longing, and such was her power in projecting what she 
conceived in her mind that she held the audience in the most rapt 
attention, and when she finished she was overwhelmed as an “Im- 
provisatrice” with expressions of delight and admiration. 

Mr. Ivanohe stood before her and said: ‘‘Signorina, accept my 
sincere thanks. Your inspiring talent has given me a foretaste of 
the singing of the future. It will be singing untrammeled by am- 
bition or greed, the soul of song free to expand, and powerful to 
touch with its magic sounds the most intimate chords of the heart! 
We think we hear the best when we listen to our famous singers, 
but what are they compared to those whose gifts teach the highest 
perfection because free from the desire to reap external rewards! 
Keep your heart free from a desire for sordid gain and vanity and 
you will remain one of the chosen instruments to voice the harmony 
of the Infinite!” 

‘T am not worthy of your kind remarks,” she said, falteringly, 
covering her face with both hands. 

‘‘My good child,” said Mme. Konrad, drawing near to her, 
“those good and kind remarks will bring you more courage. Thank 
heaven that you are endow’^ed with that wonderful gift which will 
develop to an extraordinary degi’ee, considerTng that in so short a 
time you have accomplished so much, and I will tell you what I 
have told others gifted as you are, and which is stated by a scientist 
in his analysis and cultivation of ‘Tune,’ that ‘This state of rapture 
in which the whole soul becomes thoroughly melted with holy ten- 


— 140 — 


demess, and inspired by the spirit of Eternal Light and Love, 
music and song, can do more than all else combined; 
and can be so practiced as to become the very chantings of another 
and better world and more effectually to prepare humanity to join 
the chorus of heaven than all other means united.” 

‘‘Amen! Amen!” enthusiastically exclaimed the audience. 

At that moment the arrival of a gentleman was announced 
and every eye was turned toward the door and they soon beheld a 
figure whose presence seemed to radiate a soft and mellow aura. 
His tall and perfectly proportioned figure, his dark brown hair and 
carefully trimmed beard, his large brown eyes, his elastic step and 
movement bespoke a man in the prime of life. His real age 
would have been disputed by even the closest observer. Nothing- 
short of the legal record of his birth would have convinced the 
beholders that before them stood an octogenarian. To the task of 
overcoming decrepitude and the ills that flesh seem heir to he had 
devoted much time and all his higher faculties. That he was on 
the high path of success his appearance fully demonstrated. He 
knew that the incredulous world demands facts and proofs. After 
the customary courtesies he took his place near Ivanohe and his 
sister. The many questions he asked them in regard to their coun- 
try and the minute details into which he entered in regard to tlie 
Reconstructive work plainly showed his deep interest in the move- 
ment and everyone present listened with close attention. When a 
short pause followed Mme. Konrad arose and said: “Ladies and 
gentlemen, most all of you know this gentleman. For a long time 
we have been longing to see him. We consider it a privilege to see 
him this evening — one of Switzerland’s most advanced thinkers — 
and -sve shall be very glad and very thankful. Sir, to listen to one of 
your instructive speeches.” 

The gentleman arose and bowing very courteously, began: 

“Ladies and Gentlemen: It is our good fortune to live in this 
remarkable period. Never before, we might say, has human thought 
been in such marvelous activity — mental activity — not confined to 
the few and parceled out in crumbs to the many, as in the past. 
To guide this activity into the right path, which will enable it to 
put forth its full fruition, we must understand the meaning of men- 
tal activity, which is really the subtle mental dynamite, the silent 
power of mind, that will bring the wonderful evolution in all our 


— 141 — 


lives. It will be the unfoldment of the souls with their infinite 
possibilities. The dense atmosphere of material sense will disappear 
and the pure ideals will be perceived with their transcendental 
beauty! One after another of the great luminaries Avho left The 
world better for having lived in it, have pointed out the unmistak- 
able marks as to what paths to follow in order to obtain the hap- 
piness which passeth understanding. Following the path that they 
have mapped out for us, what vistas open to the expectant, longing 
inner sight! What powers to be unfolded by a correct understand- 
ing of the laws of our true being! What inspirations to spur us 
on to reach the glorious goal! Material sense holds the world in 
bondage, clips the wings and aspirations and draws down a heavy 
curtain which shuts out the saving light! That we cannot serve 
two masters if we want to be truly free is an established fact. In 
the search for true freedom we come face to face with the task of 
overcoming the world, the flesh and all evils. Simplicity of life, 
mastery over the lower demands of nature are acquired by faith- 
fully living up to that light which comes to him or her who ear- 
nestly and perseveringly seeks for it, and when acquired, then 
comes the full realization of the greatness and stability of the one 
and the smallness and fugacity of the other. The deeper mankind 
has sunk into worldliness, the blacker have been the pages of his- 
tory. The more it was ruled by the demands of animal nature the 
more unmercifully has it tramped upon the rights of the masses, 
resulting in brutal tyranny. Intellect and spirituality were forced 
to remain latent for the want of opportunities for development. 
But, as we always notice, in the course of time, evil destroys itself! 
There comes the crisis in the life of individuals as well as nations. 
If the people were guided by true wisdom and foresight, there 
would be no need for any destroying disturbance, and that is what 
the Reconstructive Movement will accomplish. Its mission, its ener- 
gies being bent on educating the great masses, selecting the best 
qualified minds in art, music, poetry, sculpture, literature and 
sciences to unselfishly devote their talents to the uplifting of 
thought, and with their strong object lessons impress the minds as 
to what to do when the right time arrives. We will hope and pray 
that when the day for the great change arrives there will be a 
sufficient number of enlightened and unwavering beings to carry out 
the heroic task they have assumed. The greatest impediment is in 


— 142 - 


changing the lines of thought in which the minds of the people have 
been trained from childhood concerning the wrong conception of 
deity and the functions of state or nation Through wrong teach- 
ings the creature has been, so to say, separated from the creator, 
and the welfare of the people from the assumed authorities — and 
at the door of these two causes can be laid the whole history that 
has darkened this fair earth. The constant thought and realization 
of man’s oneness with the infinite source of his being imparts 
strength, love and wisdom by which he can demontsrate his* divine 
attributes, while the opposite induces him to become of the earth 
earthy. Ignorance, the prolific source of selfishness and supersti- 
tion, has held its own, until our God-nature has become 
beyond recognition. When we overcome selfishness the light which 
shineth in us will radiate, and it will assist all those who are still 
in bondage and struggling to rise upward. Through a wrong con- 
ception of what constitutes happiness it was sought in the wrong 
way and reaped accordingly. We are constantly reminded that 
history repeats itself and no statement can be more true, for when- 
ever the same causes are at work, the same effects must follow. 
Whenever the lower self is not restrained it leads individuals, and 
consequently nations, into confusion and total collapse. The root 
of the greatest evil producer has always been exclusiveness — creat- 
ing ranks, dividing the human family, feeding pride, engendering 
hatred, distrust and envy. Century after century mankind has 
sighed and moaned for liberty and p?ace, but being immersed in 
materiality the effulgent rays of Divine love and harmony could 
not reach them. Ambition and flattery being cultivated instead of 
meekness, kindness, gentleness and forgiveness; ambition and flat- 
tery which caused the ears to become dull and the heart gross, has 
prevented the true ego from being revealed. The weariness and 
dissatisfaction which fills the heart with the empty illusions of 
sense has produced in many a profound yearning for a better un- 
derstanding, and its sincerity has proven the sure guide into the 
path of salvation. There is no turning to right or left. The way 
is straight and narrow, but it leads to complete happiness. It is 
more than sad that a world which contains in itself everything to 
make it a heaveii of peace and joy, is turned through the lack of 
understanding into a vale of tears. I think so often of the ex- 
cellent ideas expressed by F. W. Robertson: ‘That the warnings 


— 143 — 


which the Bible utters against the things of this world bring no 
charge against the glorious world itself. The world is the glass 
through which we see our maker. But what men do is this: They 
put the dull quicksilver of their selfishness behind the glass, and §o 
it becomes not the transparent medium through which God shines, 
but the dead opaque which refiects back themselves, so it gives back 
their own false feelings and false nature.’ 

“The age in which we live is most remarkable for its bold atti- 
tude in solving problems which would have caused fear and terror 
to our ancestors. Among the most hopeful signs of this age is the 
intelligent attitude of women. They are coming to the front and 
taking their rightful place. I will quote from the writings of a 
woman who is wielding a great infiuence for good, and whose writ- 
ings have uplifted thousands from despondency and misery. She 
says: ‘Ignorance is, of course, at the base of all crime and all 
suffering, and it is right and wise and proper to seek to know how 
best and most quickly to reach and remove this ignorance, to siip- 
plant it Avith a knowledge of the unity of the race and of the law 
which returns to the doer the fruits of every act done, of every 
thought sent forth, whether it be of peace, of joy and love, or of 
enmity and strife. If the modern teachings of mental science are 
not calculated to better the conditions of all men, not a class — ^but 
of all men everywhere, then it is not worthy of acceptance by any; 
if from its lifting to a higher and happier existence right here in 
this world it would exclude any, for if but one soul were left out 
it were unworthy of acceptance by any, for all must suffer with 
that one. Unless the whole body be at peace and at rest no portion 
of it can be. Will the body sitting cozily by the fire be comfortable 
if the hand be thrust through the window into the cold of an arctic 
winter? Or if the foot be so near the flame as to blister will the 
body allow it to retain its position, though to the body itself there 
comes from the fire no more than a cordial warmth? Mental science 
not only proclaims the unity of the race, but its every teaching is 
based upon the truth that as a man thinketh so is he, and if he 
so much as thinks to do a wrong to another, he thereby produces 
a condition of inharmony within his own being which cannot but 
bring to his own lips a draught as bitt'^r as that which he would 
cause another to drink.’ — H. W. 

“The question to which every thinker attaches so much import- 


- 144 -^ 


ance is the so-called woman’s question. If we wish to form a cor- 
rect opinion concerning the condition of a country’s advancement 
look at the status of the women. Civilization must rise or fall with 
the advancement or stagnation of the women. Look into the history 
of any nation in all ages and you can see their advancement accord- 
ing to the position in which women were placed. When women w^ere 
common proeprty of the tribe, like horses and other cattle, chiliza- 
tion was at its lowest. When Greece and Rome recognized a 
woman’s son as her legal master, civilization was such only in name. 
When theologians taught that woman was the cause of sin and 
sorrow; at the council of Macon the bishops gravely debated 
the question as to whether or not women had souls and decided by 
a majority of one vote that they had, darkness hung over a blind 
world. When Bible texts were construed to suit the fancies of the 
blind element and were constantly thrown into the faces of the 
thoughtful women who dared to question their rights, civilization 
struggled to start on its feet but could not succeed as long as the 
unnatural pressure was turned upon the mothers of the race. There 
is only one country thus far in the world wh?re women have a bet- 
ter opportunity to make their influence felt. A great deal more 
might rightfully be expected from them, but it gives us a hint as to 
the difficulty to break up the mental lethargy induced by centuries 
of neglect and injustice. If the women of that country, that great, 
free country, fail to rise to the position demanded by this remark- 
able age, then woe to the world! 

“I have gathered a long list of names of the mothers of great 
men in every important calling in life, showing the unmistakable 
traces of pre-natal endowment. If it were not getting late I would 
like to make it more c^ear and show without a shadow of doubt 
that a radical change which will enable mankind to rise to a higher 
civilization, to a higher development of their powers, cannot be 
reached with mt the full co operation of women; so, whatever we d\ 
let us not lose sight of the most important factor in the Recoij • 
structive Movement. I can feel that our thoughts are in perfect 
harmony and I consider myself fortunate in partaking of the benefi- 
cial and strengthening emanations from minds dedicated to this 
sublime task.” 

“Do you not think it is d p’orab’e,” said one lady, “that so 
many women in the country you have mentioned forget or ignore 


-- 146 — 


their mission in life so completely as to inaugurate or create a 
social order which was not approved by the founders of that great 
republic ?” 

‘‘Yes, Madame, it is deplorable in more ways than one. If they 
were satisfied and kept within their exclusive circle their extrava- 
gant and worldly doings would be less harmful, but their hearts 
become empty, forlorn and desolate, and they call it ‘ennui,’ and 
to calm it they seek admiration and fiattery from the world 
outside of their narrow circle. People of that class are, and have 
always been, the great obstacle of human progress. They pose as 
the high class in society, but that term every intelligent, thinking 
person must admit is misplaced. The term ‘high’ ought to be applied 
to the useful, industrial and moral class of society. A class which 
‘toils not, neither does it spin, and yet are arrayed in purple and 
fine linen,’ and are placed where they do not exercise their God-given 
powers, must degenerate, and through their bad example they drag 
untold numbers into the same road of perdition. I notice in reading 
papers from abroad that some honest editors are exposing in strong 
terms the slavish adulation of the doings of that class of people 
by some of the biggest papers in the country. Those honest and 
humane editors are fervently wishing for the coming of the twen- 
tieth century Moses who will lead the nation out of the present 
chaos. Everyone who takes sufficient care to look under the sur- 
face of the misrule and greed will clearly see that the Moses of the 
twentieth century who will wield the power for the progress de- 
manded by this century, is woman! The deep and rational thinker 
will discover that the active factor for the advancement or the 
retrogression of any nation is women. Is it not plain enough yet 
that the motive power in the accumulation of wealth in the hands 
of the few and reducing to poverty and want the many, is woman, 
the power behind the throne ? Read of diamonds and other gems 
which rival with royal and imperial collections, selected and bought 
by the women of the millionaires! The description of jeweled sus- 
penders, diamond breast plates, diamond riviere, huge solid silver 
trays so heavy that it takes two men to carry them, makes the 
heart weary when almost at the same time one reads of the want 
and suffering that sends the groans of helplessness almost within 
hearing of so much extravagance! Many a woman has squandered 
millions of dollars to attain the ‘lofty’ position of social leader- 


ship — says a paper- -and to further that end a woman has had a 
palace built in imitation of the palace of the Doges of Venice. This 
woman, the paper states, has bent her energies to impart to her 
palace an atmosphere of the middle ages. Another states how a 
man of wealth has arranged to build a two million dollar palace 
to please his wife. In order to ape European aristocracy as much 
as possible he has had the top of the mountain cut olf and the 
palace is to be built much like the castles of old, with battlements 
and port holes. ‘Just think,’ says the paper, ‘ye smelter men and 
miners, how you will enjoy the knowledge of Americans living in 
castles and entertaining like kings!’ At this time the power behind 
tl-e throne must be exposed, for they, more tiian men, must be 
blamed for turning the land of the free into an aristocracy of wealth 
not only, but selling themselves for titles. It is time to remind 
them of Emerson’s message, and would to goodness that they would 
take it to heart and stop in the ruinous path befoi’e it is too late. 
Before I read Emerson’s message I will quote another warning from 
Buskin: ‘The guilty thieves of Europe, the real sources of all 

deadly wars in it, are the capitalists — that is to say, people who 
live by percentages on the labor of others instead of by fair wages 
of their own.’ Think of women rebuilding social castes with the 
millions wrung from the industrial toilers of the land of the free! 
If the following message does not reach the souls of those who ar- 
bitrarily style themselves the cream of society, we hope it will 
touch the more receptive ones: 

“ ‘God said : I am tired of kings ; 

I suffer them no more, 

Up to my ear the morning brings 
The outrage of the poor. 

Think ye I made this ball 
A field of havoc and war, 

Where tyrants great and tyrants small 
Might harry the weak and poor? 

My angel, his name is Freedom — 

Choose him to be your king. 

He shall cut pathways east and west 
And fend you with his wing, 

I will have never a noble; 


— 147 - 


No lineage counted great. 

Fishers and choppers and plowmen 
Shall constitute a state. 

And ye shall succor man, 

’Tis nobleness to serve; 

Help them who cannot help again; 

Beware from right to swerve.’ 

“Very broad hints are thrown out on the unhealthy condition 
of the cream of society. Some of the millionaires, the public is 
told, are absolutely ignoring the seventh commandment. The 
clergy, we are reminded, think twice before they denounce that 
outrageous behavior; they fear to lose the golden keys to their 
pews. Is it possible for anyone who gives even a superficial glance 
at that state of affairs to not discover the cause of the moral 
malady afflicting that portion of society which looks down with 
contempt upon those whose lives are filled with useful efforts? 
When women rack their brains to create surroundings of luxury, 
an atmosphere filled with what intoxicates the senses, is anyone to 
W’onder at the abnormal outcome? 

“We Swiss people, who for centuries have fought the monstrous 
claims of ambition and selfishness, ought to look with severity 
and pray and hope that a sound change may take place and 
save the liberty of our sister republic. I venerate the memory of 
our liberty -loving countrywomen, how with burning words they 
spurred the men to action. When in the valley, in high promon- 
tories hung hundreds of proud castles like a slave chain around the 
neck of our country and men tamely submitted to outrages inflicted 
by the usurpers, it was women’s intense consciousness of the mon- 
strous wrongs that aroused the sleeping indignation in men’s hearts 
and then they knew no more rest until tyranny was overthrown. 
The greatest wrong on earth is serfdom under the iron scepter of 
pride and injustice, for every individual’s birthright is dominion — 
not subjection. The history of this country is inspiring. The 
strength and firmness of our citizens was the result of the conscious" 
ness that freedom was above ease, wealth and even life! The heroic 
wives and daughters in Appenzell, forming a long line of combat- 
ants on the top of the mountain wearing the shepherd’s shirt, de- 
termined to die for the gi’eat and saving principle of Liberty with 


-^ 148 — 


their husbands, fathers and brothers, or help them to obtain the 
victory! How could men resist the in piration! 

‘‘Reformers are often criticised for their attitude against the 
church, but I say let everyone dispassionately investigate and study 
that question and they will no longer criticise and condemn the 
honest reformers but will heartily agree with them. Without ex- 
tending the investigation further in this, our land, we can find that 
the unjust dealings were the same as in other countries. We had 
to combat against the self -constituted authorities of the church, 
strongly combined with the self-constituted worldly authorities. 
The wealthy cloisters, the magnificent palaces of king and nobles, 
where they lived* in idleness and luxury and were the dreadful 
scourges of the oppressed and starving p:op'e, were often reduced 
to ashes, but how obstinate were the nob’es and the bishops! True, 
life was not and is not understood by them or their doings and 
methods would have been radically changed and mankind would 
no longer be in bondage. We must remember that tho'='e self- con- 
stituted authorities have never been the initiators of any new and 
necessary reform, but the unassuming, the p'ain people? One of 
the most remarkable proofs of this assertion stands before our as- 
tonished sight todaj^ The unassuming and sincere seekers of the 
‘True life’ have discovered it and by the guidance of that divine 
light they are led to solve one mystery after another. Ry this un- 
derstanding the worldly desires are changed into desires for a higher 
development and a willing and loving service for the good of all. 
The more men and women are willing to attain divine perfection by 
loving their neighbors as themselves, the more they become free 
from the limitations of sense which leads to all woes and sufferings. 
Freedom from sickness, and even old age and death, we are promised 
as a reward for our modest and loving life. By attuning our minds 
to the eternal source of all harmony, worldliness with all its con- 
comitants — pride, lust of power, envy, etc. — loses its hold upon us, 
l>ove of personal display disappears and the true love, when rightly 
nursed, is displayed without personal effort; it shines, radiating its 
beneficiary rays as natural and spontaneous as the sun radiates its 
life-giving rays. Pride, that deathly destroyer of peace and good 
will, disappears from our heart and in its place dwells the meekness 
and gentleness that comes with the realization of what the great 
moral and spiritual master said; ‘That of ourselves we can do nothing. 


— 149 — 


but the Father in us does the work/ If you allow me, I will state 
that within me I feel the power to overcome what the world has 
until recently considered an impossibility. The peace and happiness 
we acquire by concentrating our thouglits and energies upon the 
good can only be believed when we obtain the power to demonstrate 
it. Our great teacher, who had attained th^s high state of perfection, 
beheld through his pure vision the perfect man. In the perfect man 
he saw God’s image and the power of recognizing only the pure and 
good; healed the sinner of his moral weakness and the sick of hr? 
disease. By his teaching that the kingdom of heaven is within you 
he saw man holy and divine. Not laws on statute books, courts 
and prisons change the morally weak, but the divine substance of 
pure love and justice. The Brotherhood of Reconstruction is the 
only movement Avhich has probed the caU'e of man’s enslavement, 
and its remedy cannot fail because it deals at the root of it.” 

A great applause followed as the gent’eman took his seat. 

Mr. Ivanohe had risen to his f:et ready to speak when his 
sister drew his attention to the inspired young friend. With a mo- 
tion of surprise and pleasure he resumed his seat. With her hands 
held upward, her form slightly bent forward, which seemed to radiate 
with a soft halo, and with a calm and impressive tone she began: 

‘Where the spirit of our heavenly Father is, there is liberty, 
and mankind is free to enter into the realm of his Maker! Has the 
time finally come when the great truth shall be understood ? As an un‘ 
changeable verity it has been present in the world from its beginning, 
but short sighted humanity could not see it. Mankind naturally 
wonders at the new discoveries which will turn this old world into 
an entirely new one! Freedom, that heavenly inheritance which 
enables us to find the way to boundless happiness through the -right 
understanding of our mission on earth! The creator’s free gift to 
mankind was the whole earth. It was and it is in ‘its’ power to 
make it a real heaven! A free share of the Creator’s gift was and 
is for every being born, but the destructive ideas of separateness, 
of cause and effect — God and man — ^reduced the Creator’s gift into 
a bone of contention. The environments that result from conditions 
so contrary to the divine plan are visible in a world where each is 
for self, caring little or nothing for the neighbors, making it so 
difficult for the constructive power of love, the directive power of 
wisdom and the harmonizing power of truth to demonstrate, to 


-ISO- 


manifest the modern life-giving messages! The ideas so vividly 
presented by the gentleman have no doubt found lodging in the 
hearts of everyone present. The twentieth century, we are re- 
minded again and again, will witness the greatest change for the 
better than any of the centuries of the past. A mighty spiritual wave 
is flowing through the minds of the seekers after truth and their 
progress will be as it has never been before. In every age of the 
world woman’s physical beauty has been considered her most potent 
weapon. With the new understanding woman’s mind will be free 
from the harassing thoughts of enhancing external beauty and the 
use of artiflcial embellishment. She will become conscious that the 
real and enduring beauty appears by living a true and harmonious 
life — a life of divine love and wisdom which makes the human teflf- 
ple not built with hands — radiant with the substance expressed in 
every helpful unselflsh act performed for the good of others. With 
the clear understanding that mind is all-powerful in proportion as 
it is kept free from ignorance, and thereby by the rule of the in- 
fallible inner power she will be lifted out of all vexations that beset 
.a woman’s life and she will gladly accept the new mission. A life 
so full of radiant promises will not fail to attract the attention of 
women, and when they grasp the full signiflcanee of the new thought 
they will set themselves to the task of making it operative in their 
daily lives. Then may we look, for the reconstructive period — that 
glorious ” 

At this point the young girl seemed to be startled. She seemed 
impelled to speak but an evident struggle arose within her; she 
closed her eyes, folded her hands and stood as one gently deter- 
mined not to say another word. Olga went to her, took her softly 
by the hand and led her to her seat. Others spoke, and at the close 
everyone felt strengthened and ready to enter into the reform 
work with renewed energy. When Ernestine and Olga were alone 
that evening, Olga said: 

“It seems to me, my dear, that you have deprived us of some- 
thing very interesting. Would you mind telling me wdiat it was?” 

“Please, not tonight, I will tell you tomorrow.” 

“Very well, I shall not insist. I know it is something import- 
ant. Now, good night. It is late and you know tomorrow we must 
return.” 

As Ernestine was passing through the spacious corridor a door 


— 151 — 


opened softly and Miss Armida appeared, walking quickly toward 
her. With a deep emotion pictured in her beautiful face and in a 
low tone she said: ^‘Pardon me, young lady, I know it 
is not right for me to act this way but I tried in vain to still my 
heart. The sight of you. Miss Palmey, the words you have spoken 
and the fact that you are a welcome guest at the home of this in- 
comparably good lady — Madame Konrad — have made me bold 
enough to appear before you and ask you if I am correct or mis- 
taken in that you are one of the young ladies that I met in Italy? 
What I felt at that time I could not explain, even to myself. It 
was a strange fascination and the events that followed would have 
completely wrecked my life had it not been for the loving heart 
of Miss Florence and the mother-ly tenderness of Mme. Konrad, who 
rescued me from a certain physical or moral death! Will you re- 
main long with us?” 

‘‘Dear Miss,” said Ernestine, extending a friendly hand to her, 
“no; we must return to the city tomorrow afternoon. You are 
correct and I will plainly tell you that after I saw you in Italy my 
soul was tortured at the thought that our frivolous appearance ex- 
erted an evil influence upon your simple habits and mind. I am 
acquainted with your sad past and I shall carry with me thoughts 
of exceeding joy at your good fortune in finding such true and 
noble friends who brought a change in your life which will make 
of you a useful and respected member of society. This splendid 
opportunity for development of your faculties and your extraordi- 
nary talent for music and song must fill your heart with grateful- 
ness toward the blessed Providence.” 

“Oh! I am grateful, believe me — and it shall be the task of 
my life to show my benefactresses my deep appreciation of what 
they have done for me. Forgive me for having detained you — ^good 
night,” and Ernestine continued her way to her apartment and re- 
tired for the night. She awoke early in the morning and as the 
day grew, such beautiful sights came to her view that she could not 
resist and her mind was made up to descend when she perceived at 
a short distance two persons and immediately she recognized Olga 
and her brother. Eagerly she watched them as they slowly ap- 
proached. Occasionally they would stop. Nothing escaped their 
attention — the variety of trees and flowf^rs, the structure of the 
graceful chioschies. Pretty soon she noticed that she had been 


— 152 — 


perceived by Olga’s brother. He motioned to his sister and respect- 
fully lifted his hat and at a quick pace they advanved to where she 
stood. 

^‘Come down,” said Olga when at a hearing distance, ‘‘this 
morning is simply perfect and nature in this locality is magnifi- 
cent! I know you will enjoy this early walk.” 

They had not to wait long. One of the windows in her room 
opened upon a terrace at the end of which was a stone step. A 
beautifully carved arch overhung with delicate trailing vines 
opened into a broad path. Soon the three friends again exchanged 
greetings and together they resumed their walk. 

“It is difficult to express in words what one’s heart feels when 
coming face to face with nature and its manifold beauties,” said 
Ernestine. “Silent admiration would seem the proper way, but 
when the appeal is so strong and overpowering, oh! it must be 
then that poetic natures in their transport express sublime thoughts 
and their souls are attuned and vibrate in unison with the Universal 
Life!” 

She stood still, her sight slowly wandering from place to place. 

“Ernestine,” said Olga, “you are imparting to others your ex- 
quisite feelings. Look at my brother’s face. He seems to be thrilled 
as vividly as you are.” 

“It is true,” Ivanohe replied. “It is not often that my whole 
being is so thoroughly responsive as it is now to that undefinable 
something called Universal Life, and there is not the least doubt 
in my mind that this place is charged with the highest thought 
emanations that affects for good those fortunate enough to come 
within its radius.” 

“We will have a good chance to enjoy the beauty of this fa- 
vored spot,” said Olga. “Mme. Konrad has sent word that br^kfast 
will be served at 8 o’clock, at which time she will return. She 
left this morning very early to attend to something important. Let 
us retrace our steps to that inviting chiosco we passed as we 
came here. We have so much to say and as we have such a favor- 
able opportunity, let us take a surA’^ey of the whole field of opera- 
tion, if Ave can in a few hours accomplish the task.” 

“This, my dear sister, may interfere with the pleasures of Miss 
Palmey, whose fondness of nature would perhaps make her prefer 


- 153 — 


to continue the examination of the many tasteful arrangements of 
this rare spot.” 

With an obliging smile Ernestine answered that her pleasure 
would consist in doing what would be best, and that an occasion 
like this must be improved to the utmost. 

“Now, follow me,” said Olga, “and on she went. She looked 
back several times. Her two companions could not resist to stop 
and examine some rare plants or peeping into some hidden grotto, 
or to linger before a sparkling fountain surrounded with luxuriant 
water plants. Finally they reached the place where Olga was al- 
ready seated in one of the comfortable garden chairs. The chiosco 
was situated upon a promontory. The place was undoubtedly se- 
lected for the magnificent view it commanded. When they were 
seated Olga said: 

“Do you know, brother, it has been for a long time an ardent 
wish of mine for an occasion like this. I have devoured your letters. 
I have religiously — I might say — impressed all your doings on my 
mind, and now that we can speak face to face I propose to make the 
most of it. When and where are your operations to begin ?” 

“Your eagerness, my sister, is what is very encouraging, and 
by persevering it will inspire energy and action and it will insure 
success! Now, allow me to answer by quoting some statements by 
Herbert Spencer: ‘No one can be perfectly free till all are free; 
no one can be perfectly moral till all are moral; no one can be 
perfectly happy till all are happy I know you can grasp the full 
import of these all embracing statements, but has the world under- 
stood it? Has not the opposite b en taught and the world has 
practiced it ? Hence the bitter struggle in every age of the world under 
one guise or - another. No one can be perfectly free until all are 
free! What has the world practiced but the black injustice of sub- 
jugation and tyranny? No one can be perfectly moral until all are 
moral! Has the world provided the moral and elevating environ- 
ments which alone can help all to be moral? No one can be per- 
fectly happy till all are happy Now, mark, if we succeed in bring- 
ing the world to see and practice sincerely the first two propositions# 
the last will be the natural outcome. You are both acquainted with 
the world’s history. You know that in all epochs the destructive, 
domineering spirit has ignored the natural rights of the human 
race, and this could not be done without obliterating the claims of 


• 154 — 


the highest moral laws, the laws of right and justice, and the result 
has been to fill the world with unhappiness. Our aim, as you are 
aware, is to make these truths to appaar so clear that they will 
force themselves upon every individual soul, for we firmly believe 
that every individual, if given every favorable opportunity, can 
excel in something which will add to the good of all. You can see 
that our operations have already begun and from the number that 
are constantly enlisting into our ranks we can safely draw the most 
felicitous augur for the success of the movement. To your second 
question — where will it begin? — our principles are so extensive that 
they will embrace the whole human family. Now, if you were to 
ask which country is apparently best prepared to carry into effect 
the great principles, there seems to be a unanimous belief that the 
great republic of North America is the best soil in which these ad- 
vanced doctrines would take the most healthy and solid roots. To 
give you some idea of how the advanced thinkers look upon it, I 
will read you a few extracts from tiieir papers; ‘Reformers take as 
their watchword, not revolution, but evolution; they believe in the 
natural law of human progress whereby last year’s endeavors are 
the seeds of next year’s progress. A revolution, wherein the heart- 
less monopolists are put down with violence, would bring about, at 
least for the time being, a complete collapse of industry, and the 
baser elements of society would raven like wolves. Revolutions 
are always deplorable. All terrors and bloodshed might be easily 
avoided if the individuals in so-called high places would open their 
eyes and wisely consider the situation instead of hindering and pre- 
venting the natural expansion and growth of human understand- 
ing. Let no one become discouraged with the idea that evolution is 
a slow process. The reformer’s program, remember, is to watch, 
investigate and study, so as to help to evolve and mature the 
twentieth century progressive ideas. The reason why the belief 
is so strong that the United States is the most favorable land for a 
reform so broad and radical is, that the people have possessed a 
greater freedom than any other beings on earth. That great land 
of the free which does not use European diplomacy, which says one 
thing and means another, and ignores honesty and moral principle. It 
has listened to the warning of the really great man, George Wash- 
ington, to guard against entangling alliances with the old continent, 
and as long as that warning has a firm lodgment in the public mind 


- 155 - 


that land of the free will gain the power to lead and obtain a more 
perfect civilization. It is my intention to visit that great country 
and becomes familiar with its methods of reform.’’ 

“If you do not mind/’ said Olga, “I will run to my room and 
bring my satchel, into which I threw everything pell mell and have 
not had time to examine any of my correspondence. I will be back 
directly,” and off she went. 

“I am glad you have so good an opinion of my native land,” said 
Ernestine, “and I hope your sister may accompany me on my return 
home. I owe her more than I can express, as I begin to see the 
world as it is and feel a keen interest in its unfoldment.” 

“It is very gratifying to me to know how congenial you are to 
each other,” replied Ivanohe. “I fully appreciate my sister’s good 
disposition, but allow me to say that her efforts would not have 
been so successful had she not been so fortunate as to meet a nature 
as receptive as it is rare.” 

“Good, my brother!” said Olga, as she stood at the entrance. 
“Nothing could be truer than your last remark.” She had advanced 
and' emptied the contents of the satchel upon the table and said: 
“This is unusually large and you will oblige me by helping to assort 
them, as you see the correspondence comes from several nations. 
I notice several new additions, for instance, this one is new, if I 
mistake not. Can you discipher its postmarks ?” 

Ivanohe took and as soon as he cast his eyes upon it 

he was perceptibly staiix d. 

“And here are others,” she said, and handing them over to him 
she noticed his startled look. “What is it?” she asked. 

“Tell me, sister, do you often receive letters from this source?” 

“No, as I said a while ago, these are new additions. But what 
is the matter? You appear troubled.” 

“Observe this letter carefully and tell me if you do not see 
something unusual about it.” 

Olga took the lettgr, examined it carefully, and finally said: 
“No, to me it appears like any other ordinary letter.” 

“I am glad,” said Ivanohe, “but I must own that I am displeased 
at the sight of that letter. You would hardly believe that it comes 
from the headquarters of the Brotherhood of Destruction. It has 
not been posted from the headquarters, their extreme caution does 
not permit them to do that, but I have detected their most secret 


mark. No, do not ask me to reveal it to you, but for your safety ' 
I must tell you to ignore these letters completely or you may become 
involved in great trouble. Had I not seen this letter, and had you 
acknowledged its receipt, it would have been sufficient to keep your 
every movement shadowed by emissaries of the Destructive Move- 
ment. Read it, if you like, and destroy it immediately, and let no \ 
one except Miss Palmey see it and then you will incur no danger.^’ 

'*1 will read it aloud,” said Olga. 

“Honorable Miss: After many unsuccessful attempts to dis- , 
cover the whereabouts of the sister of the remarkable man — here ^ 
are your initials — we made the discovery in an unlooked for man- 
ner. You are undoubtedly informed of the prominent part your 
brother takes in a movement which we consider, after the most 
careful investigation, an extreme waste of time and energy. Pardon 
our plain expression. We would not permit ourselves to speak as 
we do were it not that the present condition compels us to. Your 
brother wields an enormous influence. -We have reasoned with him 
until we have given up in despair. As a last resort we appeal to his 
sister. Please give us one word, a frien lly word, and we will send 
you what is needed to inform you of our plans of action, and when 
you understand them we do not doubt that you will agree with our 
methods to create a state of society that will be free from conditions 
which make life a burden. Our methods differ diametrically with 
those adovcated by the other Brotherhood. Your brother and his 
followers anticipate great things, which only excites our pity. They 
fail to realize how deep-seated the wrongs are, and how like a deadl/ ^ 
contagion, they are spreading all over crtation. The ideal country 
where they expect to begin their op ralicns is that great — it 'might ■ 
have been a great — country, the United States of America. Enclosed 
you will find extracts from the press which will give you some idea ' 
as to how fast that young, free country is going down grade, fol- 
lowing the trend that led to the ruin of other great republics in the 
past, and to save it there is only one way, and why — we ask again ; 
and again — why Avill your brother not see it? We place an unlim- J 
ited faith in the power and influence of enlightened women; a large , 
number have we already, and they are the most persevering and 
enthusiastic workers in our ranks. We are not so fortunate as to ^ 
know you personally, but we have heard considerable of Mr. I. K.’s J 
noble minded sister. We hardly dare look for an answer, and yet ■ 


- 157 - 


could not resist the temptation to make the attempt. Most re- 
spectfully yours, S. S.” — a number of initials and address — “Hartz 
Mountain, G. E.’’ 

The troubled look in Ivanohe’s face increased. He was ready to 
speak when Olga said: 

“Please let me read some of the articles. Here is one entitled, 
‘Society’s Two Extremes.’ ‘When you read Mr. Allister’s book you 
will have a picture of what our civilization has done for the rich. 
If you will walk through the M. street district, you will see what 
it has done for the poor. Between the two extremes you will find 
people of heart, brain and virtue. But among the four hundred and 
in M. street you will find two classes of psople who are the coun- 
terparts of each other — in fact, the one produces the other. With 
all their differences they are strangely alike. One class is rich, the 
other is poor. One class is respectable, the other is despicable. One 
class is polished, the other is coarse. One class is clean, the other 
is filthy, but both are brainless, both are heartless, both are sen- 
sual. One class eats pate de foi gras, the other garlic — ^both live to 
eat. One class drinks champagne, the other bad whisky, but 
both live to drink. One class dances at the fashionable D., and the 
other in dives. One class is brutalized by neglect and poverty, the 
other is sensualized by luxury. An elegant Mr. L., filled to the 
chin with six kinds of wines, is trying to get into his carriage, and 
the filthy loafer, soaked with stale b er, sleeps in a lumber pile; 
])oth are brothers, both are idlers, both are triflers, both are sup- 
ported by the labor of others, both are useless. One has been lifted 
to the top by our social system, the other has been kicked to the 
bottom.’ Here is a long article — the title is, ‘Aristocracy and Evo- 
lution.’ By simply glancing at it I see that it denounces your good 
theories; it attacks them from beginning to end. It pronounces the 
possession wealth is prima facia evidence of- ability. The insid- 
ious manner in which the line of division is drawn between the 
human family is enough to stir the indignation of the most phleg- 
matic individual. It eidogizcs the monopolists and it demands the 
submission of the majority to the control of tlie few — the majority 
to submit to the orders of the ruling minority. It is argued that 
wealth represents the rewaid of ability, exactly as titles, honors 
and high offices r'^present the reward of ability in politics, wars, 
et cetera.’ This is diabolical!” exclaimed Olga, “when we know how 


— 158 — 


and by what inhuman methods that class has always exploited the 
great masses. Condemned to ignorance, low^ered to the condition of 
serfs, their whole lives reduced to a bitter struggle so they may 
furnish the rewards to the greedy and self-indulgent few! Oh, here 
is something of the revered French genius, Victor Hugo: ‘No one 
who is familiar with the marvelous writings of that sublime human- 
itarian, Victor Hugo, need be told that he penned the following 
incisive statement of the power of the money kings: ‘The eques- 
trian statue, reserved for kings alone, is an excellent type of roy- 
alty. Let us be frank with words. The capitalist who steals the 
reward of labor is a king as well as the man of blood. The king 
mounts himself on the horse. The horse is the people. Sometimes 
this horse transfigures himself by degrees. At the beginning he is 
an ass; at the end he is a lion. Then he throws his rider to the 
ground, and we have 1643 in England and 1789 in France. He some- 
times devours his rider, in which case we have England in 1649 and 
France in 1793. That the lion can again become a jackass is sur- 
prising, but a fact.’ ” 

Ivanohe made a slight motion, as if to gather the clippings, 
Avhen his sister gently detained him. 

“Please, one more,” she said. “Listen: ‘A close and impartial 
examination of the facts and lessons of the past will prove that the 
most dangerous class in a civilized country is the millionaire class, 
those full-handed pirates and vultures of society who buy up legisla- 
tures, corrupt courts of justice and employ attorneys, senators and con- 
gressmen to do their bidding and undermine the very foundation 
and destroy the principles of a free government. This is no new 
question. The readers of Roman history will recognize the truth 
of the testimony introduced here — that in every community where 
we find the dangerously rich we also find the suffering and dan- 
gerously poor. In a little book written a few years ago by Rev. 
T. S. we learn that ‘The classes from which we have most to fear 
are the two extremes of society — the dangerously rich and the dan- 
gerously poor, and the former are much more to be feared than the 
latter.’ In an able article by Chancellor H. C. we read- ‘He whose 
mind rests upon the lower classes as the cause of the horrors and 
wild forces in the riots in the reign of terror in France where the 
fierce passions of men who were nearest the brutes made havoc with 
all that was beautiful and orderly and good — he is no philosopher. 


— 159 — 


A philosophical analysis of the explosion of the populace which so 
often has desolated nations, would reveal a great series of causes lead- 
ing far away from the populace itself. In ancient Greece the revolutions 
which established the democracies were movem^ents of the low classes 
of the people; but before these risings we find, in many instances, 
the tyrannical oppression of a despot and his court, which today 
would be styled a ^ring.’ It was the long period of fearful oppres- 
sion in France represented by the selfish and voluptuous courts of 
Louis XIV and Lous XV during which the peasants were but beasts 
of burden. The danger which threatens the uprooting of society, 
the demolition of civil institutions and the desolation of all, is that 
which comes from the rich and powerful classes in a country. What 
we have to fear are the encroachments of those infiuential elements 
upon the rights of the people, who are naturally timid and slow 
to act, but woe to the oppressors when they are forced into united 
resistance! It is by the growing power of that class that the safety 
of that great republic is threatened, and the danger will appear in 
two forms, The-tiemoralization of society and the sanguinary ven- 
geance of the oppressed!’” 

“Sister ” 

“Yes, brother; I will not read the whole. Listen to this; ‘The 
many instances of a large portion of the wealthy class impatiently 
demanding the use of militia in all cases of threatening or real 
violence, without an effort to secure the protection of the law 
through the civil forms and procedure provided by law, is an un- 
pleasant augury, and one to be constantly watched by the true 
friends of constitutional liberty. And the fact that such incorpo- 
rated wealth can command a large part of the press in that country 
to malign, misrepresent and aim to intimidate any who feel it a 
solemn duty to execute law by observing law, is a potent indication 
of the coming evil! The greatest dangers must be looked for as 
coming from the lawless units of great wealth rather than from 
the producers, who, in the language of the great Jefferson, ‘Are 
more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right them 
by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.’ The great 
millionaires, of course, demur, and, true to their low instincts, would 
disfranchise the peaceable, long-suffering proletariat and leave to 
that class no redress for popular grievances except by the methods 
of savagery.’ ” 


160 — 


“May not the Brotherhood of Destruction be right in their diag- 
nosis and the needed remedies?” asked Olga. 

Ivandhe was going to answer when, looking at Ernestine, he 
saw her ready to speak. He nodded respectfully. Thanking him 
she said: 

“The more carefully we study the great questions in our won- 
derful age the clearer it appears to us that cruelty and oppression 
will arouse mankind to a state similar to the destroying and de- 
vouring lions, and if the lions again become jackasses, are they to 
be blamed, bound as they are by the chains of ignorance; deprived 
as they have always been and — we may say — are, of the opportunity 
to acquire that principle or quality which alone can reveal the up- 
lifting, elevating power and which is, when we understand it, the 
Divine Wisdom? Convinced, as I am, no other reform can bring 
this realization to mankind, no other, I repeat again, but the Re- 
constructive Reform, which will cleanse the human mind of pre- 
conceived wrong ideas in regard to religion, social, political, indus- 
trial and other important subjects. Then all the abominable works 
of the flesh will disappear, because swept away by the glorious 
power of the spirit, consisting of pure love, joy, peace, gentleness, 
meekness, temperance, and then we will listen to and obey the great 
suggestions: Let us not be desirous of vainglory, provoking one 
another, envying one another — and then, surely no one will be again 
entangled with the yoke of bondage!” 

“Amen! So be it,” exclaimed heartily her friends. 

Ivanohe was unfolding one of the articles he had picked up. 

“Please let me see what that contains,” said Olga. She took 
it, glancing at it quickly. 

“Ah! I see,” she began, “this is not from across the ocean, it 
is from nearer home and is another proof that if women were Ann 
enough, or free from such temptations, men would not know — at 
least, many would not know — what to do with their great wealth. 
The two scions of nobility, tempting with princely gifts of gold, 
(pearls and diamonds, laces and costliest articles that money can pur- 
chase, tempting a girl of rare beauty to join them as companions of 
pleasure. The girl dreads poverty but struggles hard to still the 
warnings of the inner voice. But the temp tors press on — one prom- 
ises her a palace in P , the other one of the most magniflcent 

equipages in L I am sorry the rest is tom off. Oh, let us hope 


- 161 -- 


the girl has stood firm to her true self! What strength of charac- 
ter must a girl, placed in such a position, display! Ah, may the 
time soon come when the system and the environments will be such 
that neither men nor women shall be exposed to temptations which 
are almost beyond their strength to resist.” 

“It is coming!” solemnly said Ivanohe, “and now, let us gather 
everything and be ready when we are called to breakfast.” And 
so they did, and agreed to walk slowly in another direction toward 
the mansion. Silently and filled with admiration they went on. 
Breaking the silence, Ivanohe said in a very impressive manner: 

“How quick would the world be transformed into a place fit 
for the angels if women, especially those with ample means like 
this lady, would follow her example by living for the happiness of 

others by serving others. The greatness of her soul is revealed ” 

at this moment Miss Florence appeared, as they had reached the 
entrance, and, extremely delighted , at their sight, told them that 
the lady had returned and said: “Now, I will lead you to her.” 




— 162 — 


CHAPTER XII. 

Slowly they mounted the steps and their friend led the way to 
the dining room, where they found the hostess, who greeted them 
with the cordial and friendly manner which put everyone at ease 
and made them feel that they were really welcome. She apologized 
for having unceremoniously left that morning, but there were many 
important matters that called for her personal attention. 

‘‘Please, Madame, do not mention iV’ said Mr. Ivanohe. “From 
the depths of my heart I thank you for this great favor.’’ 

“This visit, my dear and generous lady,” said Olga, “will be a 
bright page in our lives, and our good friend, who is so very fond 
of nature, as well as my brother and myself, shall never forget the 
magnificent sight of this grand villa so artistically and tastefully 
arranged, and forever shall we remember what my brother said — 
that there is not the least doubt in his mind that this place is 
charged with the highest thought emanations that affect for good 
those fortunate enough to come within its radius.” 

“This rare spot, Mme. Konrad,” said Ernestine, “actually offers 
to the sight a magic ^aspect, or more correctly, it offers a sublime 
sight to the soul, for it reveals the goodness and omnipotence of the 
creator!” 

“My dear friends,” replied the lady, “I greatly appreciate your 
kind expressions. Yes, the goodness and omnipotence of the Creator 
are revealed all over creation, and there is no limit to beautify and 
improve it if the inhabitants are willing to perform their duties. 
Labor is the great factor, using its God-given talents for the em- 
bellishment of the beautiful mother earth. Before labor was applied 
this was like other places — an uncultivated desert. I know you 
understand me when I say that mother earth is like every other 
living thing. I am constantly impressed by this truth when I see 
one place showing its beauty and another its ugliness. The one ' 
is cultivated and improved; the other is neglected; and so it is 
with human beings, although they are the superior beings on earth. ’ 
They can be wonderfully developed, and, if neglected, they remain < 


— 163 — 


laicultivated savages. Under the blessed movement of Reconstruc- 
tion labor will be applied so^that it will be a healthy and agreeable' 
occupation. There will be no lazy people, and then the ideal of 
one of our modern deep thinkers, who says: ‘My ideal is frugality 
of body and opulence of mind.’ — (R. B.) — will be verified. I would 
like to show you other places could you remain a little longer.” 

“We would consider it a great privilege,” said Olga, “but we 
must return to school, and Miss Palmey has decided to visit some 
of her proteges. She does not like the idea of having her philan- 
thropic work spoken of, I know, but I wish she would relate to 
Mme. Konrad the little story of the young chimney sweeper. You 
must not,” turning to Ernestine, “feel embarrassed. I know the 
lady will like to hear it.” 

Mme. Konrad spoke words of encouragement and Ernestine 
began : 

“Some time ago, after an abundant rain, having finished my 
work earlier than usual in the afternoon, as the air became clear 
and looked inviting, I took a walk in a direction I liad never ven- 
tured to take. It led into a not much frequented path and at a 
certain distance I found myself in a forest. I had gathered a quan- 
tity of pretty wild flowers and was sitting on the fallen trunk of a 
tree, carefully arranging them, when I heard the echo of footsteps. 
I looked around but could see nothing, and after a while I heard 
the first words of that pathetic song, ‘Spazzacammino.’ The voice 
that sang it was strong and clear. I listened intently and could not 
explain the phenomena that made each word appear as if clothed 
with a life vibration. When the words, ‘La mamma mia che mai 
fara,’ pronounced with an intense feeling, reached my ear, I invol- 
untarily started to my feet. A strong sense of attraction seized me, 
and, following the sound, I reached a place covered with thick shrub- 
bery. I almost held my breath and moved more cautiously. On 
the ground I saw a ladder, a coil of rope and a scraper. I stopped 
and my eyes finally caught sight of a boyish form sitting at the 
foot of a large oak tree. His face was black from soot, and on his 
cheeks were two white lines from the eyes downward. The large, 
lustrous eyes seemed to give expression to his strong feelings and 
they seemed to change with the meaning of each word. When he 
repeated ‘La mamma mia che mai fara’ I saw the big tears uow 
down his cheeks. I stood like one fascinated. That poor, lonely 


—164— 


boy surely possessed the power, so to say, to project into visibility 
what his heart strongly felt. An indescribable expression came into the 
poor child’s eyes as he raised and extended his arms, as if the object of 
the ardent desire of his heart were before him. I wondered if any 
distance could prevent the mother’s heart from feeling the tender 
love of her child! He lowered his head and covered his face and I 
heard him sobbing. That spoke plainer than words of the hard 
and cheerless lot of the neglected children of the poor. I decided 
to approach him, and not until I was within a few steps of him 
did he remove his hands from his black, tearful face. When he saw 
me his first impulse was to run. I motioned, and spoke to him, to 
stay. Strong fear and alarm appeared on the poor face, but I 
finally succeeded in putting him at ease and asked him where his 
mother was. He timidly answered that she was at 'home in Lom- 
bardy. ‘Is your padrone good to you?’ I asked him. He hesitated; 
1 asked him again. He reluctantly shook his head. ‘Does he not 
treat you good?’ He showed me some bruises on his limbs and 
body. ‘Does your mamma know it?’ ‘Oh! no, no!’ he cried, with 
an intense tone in his voice, while with a visible effort he controlled 
his tears. ‘Where is your padrone?’ I asked. Anxiously looking 
around, again showing fear on his countenance and trembling, he 
said: ‘He told me he would come.’ ‘Are you hungry?’ I asked 
again. ‘I am always hungry,’ he rep’ied. My mind was full of 
thoughts of what to do, and quickly I told him, ‘Come with me; I 
will take you where you will receive food and the care that a boy 
of your age needs.’ He looked wildly around. ‘Never mind,’ I said, 
‘If he comes I will explain everything to him.’ We walked out of 
the wood as fast as we could and I took him to the house of a 
family who are great benefactors and willing to help the needy. 
I explained the situation and made arrangements that the boy 
should be kept and provided for until I could see my way clear 
what to do for 'him. We discovered that the man who employed 
Enrico was cruel and a drunkard and I was determined that if any 
trouble should arise I would try my best to settle it. The next day 
I wrote to several parties and consulted with this faithful friend,” 
pointing to Olga, “and the good news we often receive now is that the 
boy is a surprise to his teachers. They have discovered the gift’ he 
possesses and affirm that he will in time be one of the foremost 
orators of the age; that he unconsciously possesses the power to 


— 165 — 


vitalize his thoughts, and when he shall arrive at the age when he 
will wield that power consciously he will irresistibly sway his 
hearers and the people will marvel when they learn of the humble 
origin of the hungry chimney sweeper! This is the simple story,” 
said Ernestine, modestly. 

‘‘And think. Mine. Konrad,” said Miss Florence, “this good 
young lady has not only saved the poor chimney sweeper, but is 
tlie person I have reported to you as having saved the poor chamber 
servant who is now under your generous protection!” 

“Miss Palmey,” said Mine. Konrad, “you are a good young lady. 
You are following one of the great principles of the Reconstructive 
Movement and you will certainly be one of its prominent workers. 
Now that we are through with the breakfast, let us go to the next 
room and I will relate to you what have been to me also lessons of 
great value.” When they were seated the lady began: 

“About a year ago I was traveling in Italy, and arriving at a 
small town where we had to stop over night, I became aware that 
the people were much stirred up over a horrible crime that had 
been committed in one of the quarters where our inhuman social 
system compels the moral cripples to gather and increase the 
moral pestilence. The man who had been arrested for the crime 
was a Frenchman. The body of the murdered young man was 
found in close proximity to his dwelling. The Frenchman was 
middle-aged and had a strong vein for launching into enterprises. 
He owned a large tract of land and had erected one building after 
another until a large settlement, dedicated to uses of a low nature, 
sprung into existence. Great disorders were from time to 
time reported, but the public authorities — and, right here — 

rumors were circulated that the so-called public authorities 
not only closed their eyes and ears, but some of them Avere seen fre- 
quenting these places of iniquity. The crime I have mentioned 
Avould not have caused so much excitement had the victim been 
one of the miserable beings, but the young man was one of the 
favored sons of fortune. His parents Avere almost frantic Avith 
grief. A large reAvard Avas offered for the capture of the culprit. 

I was then, as I am noAV, greatly interested in social conditions, 

and decided to remain in that toAvn and Avitness 

the court proceedings. My presence there attracted 
much attention. Had I been present from motives of curiosity, 


—m— 


I could not have endured the impertinent looks from some of the 
bystanders. I had a strong desire to see the man who possessed 
so much enterprise and made such poor use of it. 

“In due time I saw him. He was a middle-sized man, a little 
hump-backed, bore a healthy complexion, had keen black eyes, 
black hair, an acquiline nose and an oval shaped face, and his 
mustache Avas black, sprinkled with gray. There was nothing to 
denote a depraved nature. To the questions that were put to him 
he answered in a firm and frank manner; he insisted that he was 
innocent. The process lasted for a long time. When not at the 
court room I was busy gathering all kinds of information in re- 
gard to that indiA idual. I could not believe that he Avas guilty of 
that crime, and I knew that he could be turned into a useful mem- 
ber of society. Anyone less familiar with human nature Avould 
liave scorned my ideas. His Avife was an invalid and took little 
interest in Avhat Avas going on. The big reAvard accomplished its 
Avork, the real criminal was caught and the Frenchman set at 
liberty. He did not return to his business at once, as everyone 
expected. For more than a Aveek nothing Avas seen of him, Avhich 
astonished everyone Avho kneAV hoAV diligent and punctual he Avas. 
I went several times to his business place, disguised as an ordinary 
purchaser, and by indirect questioning I gained more and more 
information. Among other things I learned that he had an in- 
ventive turn of mind and had made several useful inventions, and 
had other good qualities. One day, as I was coming out of the 
store, I saAV him coming at a quick pace. I stepped back and 
ordered something else, and AA^hile the clerk Avas preparing it I 
kept a sharp eye on the OAvner. He bore a troubled look on his 
face and I made up my mind to return some other day. When, 
after tAvo days, I Avent again Avith the pretext of buying some- 
thing, I found him in the store. He Avas very agreeable and ser- 
viceable, also very talkative. The troubled look, had entirely dis- 
appeared and I found it not difficult to open a conversation, Avhich 
I adroitly led to the subject Avhich preoccupied my mind. He did 
not attempt to disguise matters. He blamed the people for not 
having assisted him to make that locality respectable. He had 
eA^en built, at a heavy expense, a beautiful hall and had it deco- 
rated by the best artists that money could employ. At the open- 
ing he had eA^erything arranged in a first-class style and had sent 


— 167 — 


invitations to people that could have given tone to the occasion; 
but what did he get in return for his trouble? The cold shoulder! 
Seeing that respectable people did not care to patronize him he 
turned his back on them and the result was, matters took that 
turn. T abhor the whole business myself/ he said, ^especially as 
my son is growing and the surroundings are bad, and as careful as 
I am to keep the true state of affairs from my invalid wife her 
remonstrances make me feel very guilty at times, and now, since 

the last unfortunate affair but what can I do?’ ‘Could you 

not dispose of the property and establish yourself in some other 
locality?’ I suggested. ‘That I could do,’ he said, reflectively, ‘but 

who are you?’ he said suddenly, looking me straight in the 

face. In answer I gave him some circulars, asking him to read 
them carefully, and I would see him again. I thought I would 
give him time to consider everything, and proceeded on my journey. 
On my return I stopped again at the same town and I found several 
notes from him begging me to come to see him. When I entered 
the store he was waiting on a customer. He greeted me very re- 
spectfully and I noticed a tremor in his hands. After the customer 
left he gave a sigh of relief, and offering me a chair, asked me to 
be seated as he had so much to tell me. ‘Do you really believe, 
Madame, that the social condition outlined in the papers you gave 
me can actually be realized?’ he asked eagerly. ‘I do, most assur- 
edly,’ I quietly replied. ‘But what assurance is there to make you 
feel so confident?’ ‘The assurance that in their innermost hearts 
the people are good, and therefore naturally prefer good instead of 
evil.’ ‘But, Madame, is your faith not shaken, knowing something 
about my life, and the surroundings I have created. Ah! Madame,’ 
he said, after a while, ‘you must possess a noble soul; your presence 
works good in me. I feel my unworthiness, my ill-spent life, but 
I feel a strong desire to change its course. Never before have I 
realized this. I loathe this life and am determined to dispose of 
this property and enter into a respectable life, but I feel that 
I need the moral support of people disposed as you are to sustain 
my feeble attempts to atone for past failings and to remain Arm 
and steady in the right path.’ ‘You shall find everything you need,’ 
I said, ‘and when your environments are changed your strength 
will unfold, keeping pace with 3mur desire to do good.’ He was 
deeply touched, and, to make tlie storj^ short, he sold the property 


— 168 — 


and he and his family moved into a toAvn I had suggested, where 
reformers lived. I heard that his wife regained her health and is 
today a zealous worker in our movement. The son has enjoyed a 
first- class education, is a good mechanic and assists his father in 
his many useful inventions, and both are ardent supporters of our 
reform doctrines. Before I left that town it was my good fortune 
to help and bring peace and happiness into another family. It is 
one of my habits to go wherever I can to study life in all its phases. 
I visit churches with the same purpose. One morning I entered an 
old but well preserved structure. It was richly decorated. The 
statues of saints were fine works of art; gold and silver had been 
used without stint. I had taken a seat when a bowed figure ap- 
peared who went to kneel down in front of me. She was praying 
fervently and now and then a heavy sigh came from her oppressed 
heart. I watched her, and in the meantime two other women en- 
tered. One came and knelt close by me. After she was seated I 
begged her to tell me if she knew who the person was in front of us. 
She looked at her with a gesture of pity and told me the sad story. 
It was a poor mother who had lost one son and that another was break- 
ing her heart by fast becoming an incorrigible drunkard. ‘Where 
do they live V I asked, and taking out my note book wrote down the 
address. ‘Is the young man doing anything, and how old is he?’ 
‘He is twenty years old and works in a butcher shop.’ 

“Again I wrote down the address where the boy worked and 
thanked the woman. The first thing after leaving the church I 
went in search of the butcher shop and my mind was made up to 
visit it the next day, and so I did. When I entered the door there 
were two men grappling together in the middle of the shop. I saw 
at once what the trouble was. One was intoxicated while the other 
was trying to force him out. The one under the influence of drink 
was a tall, slim young man, his curly blond hair and rosy com- 
plexion made him appear a mere boy. His high forehead, large 
brown eyes, fine shaped nose, thin lips and well formed mouth de- 
noted the idealistic nature which seemed entirely out of place in 
that dingy room with sawdust-covered floor and dead flesh-covered 
walls. 

“The other man was a short, nervous, quick-motioned indi- 
vidual, his appearance completely the opposite of the young man. 
When he perceived me he led him to a bench and made him sit 


— 169 — 


down, muttering something into his ear, and quiekly stepping be- 
hind the counter was ready to wait upon the customer. Before 
asking for anything I enquired if the young man was indisposed. 
‘He is dead drunk, that’s what he is,’ the butcher answered. ‘I 
have bothered with him all I am going to — the good-for-nothing! 
I am not going to stand it any longer, he will have to hunt for 
another job, or 1. am not the butcher on corner B.’ He was very 
angry and I felt very sorry for tlie young man. A quick thought 
flashed through my mind and I said: ‘I am a total stranger to 
you both, and Avhat I am going to propose to you may — well, I 
hope you will approve it — I should never forgive myself if I should 
not make an effort to rescue a young life from sure ruin. Noav, 
I will ask you a favor. Let him rest until the bad effects disap- 
pear. Do not abuse him. Have a little patience and I will take 
care of him.’ I did not know what the man thought. He looked 
strangely, first at me and then at the boy, his lips moved as if 
he were saying something but he could not formulate it into Avords. 
I looked steadily at him and he finally said: ‘All right.’ I left 
the place, and, Avhen through Avith my other errands returned to 
the shop. The boy was not in sight and the OAvner Avas not pres- 
ent, and I asked the clerk Avhere the young man Avas. ‘He Avent 
home,’ he ansAvered. Hearing that I Avent straight to the house, 
and as I arrived I saAV the same care-worn, grief -burdened Avoman I 
had seen at the church. Her eyes looked red and SAVollen. As she 
stood at the door I asked her: ‘Will you permit a stranger to enter 
and speak to you of something that lies near to your heart?’ Very 
courteously she asked me to come in and offered me a chair and 
soon I learned of her and her husband’s long struggles, the loss of 
her beloved son, and the last and greatest sorroAV — the AvayAvard- 
ness of the only child that remained to them. After many en- 
quiries it did my heart good to notice the relief and the change in 
the sad face as she unburdened her mind and found a sympathetic 
response from her strange visitor. I positively stated that a com- 
plete change of surroundings Avould make it possible to bring to 
the surface the many, but latent, good qualities of mind and 
heart in the young man. ‘Your son,’ I said, ‘possesses an ideal- 
istic nature, and if assisted he Avill rise to a higher realm, but if 
surrounded oy coarse and unspiring environments his idealistic 
nature must staive, for he is not positive enough to climb unaidei. 


170 — 


What is absolutely necessary is to find out what he is naturally 
fitted for and then bend our efforts to place him in the right posi- 
tion/ The mother’s face was a study. It beamed with brightness, 
and then, as if thoughts, of doubt flashed through her mind, shad- 
ows appeared and disappeared in rapid succession. T have,’ I told 
her, Troni the moment I saw your son decided to leave no stone 
unturned to save him. It is the mission to which, with many others, 
I have devoted my life, and now, please tell me, what are the 
strongest inclinations you have noticed in him?’ 

^He does not seem to have inclination for anything since he 
has been put, first in a baker shop, which made him feel despondent, 
and since he changed and was employed in the butcher shop he 
went from bad to worse. I can show you what, before that, used 
^ to take up his whole attention and fill him with contentment.’ 

“She went to a clothes press and brought out drawings, carv- 
ings in wood, models in clay, and so forth. ‘His father,’ she said, 
‘could see no use in foolish things like that. He would scold him 
till the poor boy did not dare to touch them, and he dropped every- 
thing when he was compelled to work in the dingy baker shop, and 
later, with tiie other change in his occupation, came the evil trans- 
formation in his whole being. He is no more what he used to be, 
and it has cast a dark shadow OA^er my life which leaves nothing 
for me to hope for!’ Copious tears flowed doAvn the afflicted 
mother’s cheeks. ‘Nothing is lost, as yet,’ I said. ‘I feel convinced 
that an artistic career aauII re-aAvaken his better nature and stimu- 
late his entire being into neAV life and activity.’ ‘Thank you! 
Thank you,’ she exclaimed. ‘Providence must have sent you.’ She 
had folded her hands and Avas looking at me, her grateful soul in 
her eyes, i had heard the second time someone calling her, the 
third time it reached her ear and she started to her feet. ‘He is 
calling me,’ she said, looking anxious and not knoAving Avhat to do. 
‘Keep quiet,’ I said. ‘His mind may not be clear enough today. I 
Avill come tomorroAv; haA^e him remain at home, give him these leaf- 
lets to read, and let us hope for the best.’ 

“The Avdiole matter Avas so unexpected and ncAV that the poor 
Avoman could express no Avords Avhen I finally took leave of her. 
The next day I found mother and son anxiously aAvaiting my com- 
ing. The mother impressively said that the mere mention of a 
change, and the reading of what I had given for him, seemed to have 


-in- 


brought back her boy’s former self! He did not wait for the for- 
mality of an introduction, but impulsively came forward with his 
hand extended to me. I took his hand and told him how glad I was 
to see him, and again I took notice of his finely developed brain, 
and again I was impressed that the young man, when following bis 
right vocation, and after having his character rightly developed, 
would represent a noble — a true personality! I entered freely into 
the plans I had considered. He was to enter the academy of fine 
arts and I would see to it that he be favored with the best oppor- 
tunities to assure a successful career. H do not have the honor to 
know who you are, Madame,’ he said, ^and everything you have said 
is so good that I can hardly realize that I am awake. It seems too 
good to be true.’ H am only one among the many workers who are 
trying to reconstruct the world. You, in turn, if you are faithful in 
your new calling, can become a powerful instrument to help this 
great cause. Here is my card; at the right time you will be noti- 
fied. Here I have some literature; please read it carefully and 
when through, distribute' it where you know it will do the most 
good.’ Every arrangement was carried on as rapidly as possible 
and in proper time the young man entered the academy, where he 
is now pursuing his studies, giving full satisfaction to his teachers 
and filling his mother’s heart with gladness at the steady progress 
he is making in all branches of the fine arts. As I said, they 
were lessons of great value, and I could relate some more had we 
more time. I would like to hear your opinion, Mr. Ivanohe.” 

“Madame Konrad, those lessons are of great value, not only to 
the performers of the noble work, but to every listener whose heart 
has become tender toward his fellow beings and begins to under- 
stand the sublime principles of the Reconstructive 
Movement. My spirit feels a great revival, my heart 
is stimulated to greater actions. The only cause that 
produces the evil effects that degenerate mankind is 
what every true reformer claims— it is the wrong system established 
and upheld by the low human propensities. Recently I read an ar- 
ticle in a Bulletin which said: ‘Reading the history of any land 
one cannot help saying: What fools the common people were in 
those days! The poor, distracted, gullible common people!’ Now, 
my good friends, yom know the reason why the so-called common 
people were in that deplorable condition. We are told again and 


— 172 — 


\ 


again tliat if the clergy wislied to keep tlie coiiinion people in sub-, 
jection it tvas not best to tell them that the Divine Being filled 
them with Its own life, substance, intelligence and love as full as 
it filled Osiris and Isis. ‘For century after century they were en- 
slaved, whipped, robbed, outraged, despised and murdered,’ says 
the Bulletin. Now, tell me, being kept in ignorance, was it possi- 
ble for them to realize their greatness and the power to resist their 
oppressors ?’ 

“Certainly not,” replied the ladies. 

“But let us rejoice and continue in this great reform, for al- 
ready there are great signs that the common people are discovering 
their power, and therefore, after centuries of blindness, overcoming 
it by cultivating their intelligence and understanding their true be- 
ing, they will establish what will save them forever — the Divine 
Principle of the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Men.” 

“We share your hopes and your convictions,” enthusiastically 
exclaimed the ladies. 

“It has already been shown how deep the principles of liberty 
and equality were rooted in the hearts of the true patriots in the 
new republic of America. Equality and liberty for the great hu- 
man family, those natural demands alone will awaken in their 
hearts the good qualities when fully granted. We hear how the 
common people have already learned a great deal. In France, the 
poor, foolish common people acted that stupendous epic, the French 
revolution. In France, Switzerland and the United States they 
have discovered their power and established a measure of equality 
and liberty. Think of the inspiring sentence in the United States 
‘Declaration of Independence,’ ‘The self-evident truth that all just 
powers of government are derived from the consent of the gov- 
erned.’ Think of the spirit of independence, the love of liberty ex- 
pressed in the words of Patrick Henry, spoken in the very halls of 
royalty: ‘I know not what course others may take, but as for me, 
give me liberty or give me death!’ Think of the liberty-loving men 
who were ready to face death rather than submit to the usurping 
authority of kings and rulers! No wonder, then, if the statement 
made in a reform paper — that the so-called common people, after 
ages of blindness and folly, are slowly coming into their own, shall 
be verified. A senator in that country — ^Mason, I believe — said: 
‘This sentence has been a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by 


— 173 — 


day to the down- trodden all over the world. In the light of this 
sentence crowns have fallen to the dust and men have ^tood anew 
in their manhood. In the realization of that all-important truth, 
Simon Bolivar, the liberator of South America, established the 
foundation stone of the American republic. In the light of that 
sentence, Kosciusko led his brave band against the hosts of the 
Russian and Austrian oppressors of his native land!’ Oh, ^ how I 
wish that the Destructive Movement would adopt the best and safest 
remedies to overcome the evils — by education instead of destruc- 
tion! I have received an article recently which did me good, seeing 
tliat some clergymen are presenting matters in the true light, but 
the Destructive Movement plainly shows in the letter in which was 
enclosed the article, that they are growing fiercer. I will read it to 
you. One clergyman said: ‘The workingman is often unmercifully 
scored because he is not a regular attendant at church. Perhaps 
there are a great many workingmen who do not go regularly to 
places of worship, but it is not because of a lack of reverence for the 
principles of Christianity. It is rather because of a feeling that 
they are not welcome in all of the churches, and it is not an un- 
founded excuse when they give this as a reason for non-attendance. 
That there are some ministers who know that money and good ap- 
pearance are more recognized in some churches than a desire to 
worship God is made apparent by the sermon delivered by Dr. B. 
W. T. His subject was ‘The Golden Fetters of the Church.’ In the 
course of his sermon Dr. T. gave utterance to the following: ‘I 
impeach the church today because she prefers the riches of the world 
ratlier than the riches of Jesus of Nazareth. I impeach the church 
today because she has imbibed the spirit of commercialism to the 
exclusion of the spirit of Christian humility. I impeach the church 
for forsaking the simplicity of the earlier days and becoming aris- 
tocratic and haughty and in showing forth to men that the badge 
of her aristocracy is not the blood-stained cross of service, but the 
vulgar dollar mark of the exchange and of the market place. She 
approaches the millionaires with greater reverence than she ap- 
proaches the footstool of the most high God! She has built her 
institutions by popular subscription, but the poor get scant courtesy 
within their walls. She has posed before man as peace-maker and 
arbiter, and yet today she is absolutely without infiuence in the 
great industrial battles between capital and labor! She has drawn 


— 174 — 


around her the mantle of arrogance and exclusiveness and passes 
on her way sublimely unconscious of the gibes and jests of by- 
standers. She patronizingly proffers her cheap advice to the poor 
to be content with a lower station in life, while she bends the hinges 
of the knee to the rich man and flatters his ambition to be wealthier 
still. It is for these very reasons,’ says the above-mentioned cler- 
gyman, ‘that the church has lost her influence with thousands of 
common people, and the earlier she takes it upon herself to elimi- 
nate money- worship and take up the path of poverty — (this sentence 
has upset the Brotherhood of Destruction — the idea that the minis- 
ters know nothing but to jump from one extreme to the other) — pen- 
itence and prayer, the more quickly will the common people flock 
to her banners.’ I must admit myself that they are mistaken, but 
I hope that after we send them our reform literature, if they are 
truly honest and sincere, it will plainly appear to them as it un- 
mistakably appears to every one of us, that nothing but the change 
of the unjust and wrong system can save not only the poor and 
common people, but the whole human race.” 

“You are perfectly right, Mr. Ivanohe,” said Ernestine. “Is that 
another article from my native country?” 

“Yes, Miss, I am glad to say it is, and, considering it very care- 
fully, I think it is a good sign, for you know in order to cure evils 
they must be uncovered.” 

“Yes,” said the hostess, “and the events that will pass in th^’ 
twentieth century Avill give a very different form to the state of 
affairs. The clergymen are thundering forth accusations against 
American women, stating that three-fourths of the crime and pov- 
erty and depravity found in America are due to women. Some of 
the women, the press reports, protest and resent it. One woman 
said that men are to blame, for they have made the political, finan- 
cial, religious and educational system to which women have been 
subjected ever since, and another woman protesting says that crime 
and poverty are the result of social conditions. The press also re- 
ports that Bishop L. said inferentially that men have made a mess 
of it, and he, hence, indirectly argues that women be given a chance 
to make their own environment — that, as a rule, where women are 
free and untrammeled to act their influence is for the best. Very 
true, the social conditions produce the crimes and human suffering, 
and why should women remain so indifferent? Simply because they 


— 175 — 


do not yet comprehend the situation, and at times it seems very 
strange why they do not comprehend it, and until they do the 
crimes cannot be conquered. I suppose you have read that a con- 
gress is being held in one of the cities on this continent to discuss 
what is called the Svhite slave trade.’ Think of the horror that 
this Svhite slave trade’ is carried on on a great scale and has become 
an evil of international importance! It is conducted under the 
guise of emigration, many young girls leaving their homes, sup- 
posedly for America and ending in dives in Paris, London and other 
European cities, and some are taken across the Atlantic, but only 
to a life of shame in the greater American cities. Think how poor 
girls are brought away from Russia by the train load, and that 
there has been no effort made to stop the abominable traffic! Again 
and again we are reminded that the ancient world has succumbed 
to two evils — slavery and immorality. In the congress they promise 
to support measures which may be suggested against the Svhite 
slave trade.’ But in the name of the Almighty good what measures 
will abolish that abominable traffic except it be by a complete 
change of the present evil system? Not the thundering accusations 
against women, but the needful enlightenment, as practiced by the 
Reconstructive Movement, will awaken womankind and through 
their powerful influence will the events that will appear in the 
twentieth century be new and glorious!” 

‘‘God bless you,” exclaimed the young friends. 

“And I will repeat the prophetic words of Charles Kingsley,” 
said Miss Florence, “ ‘That one principal cause of the failure bf so 
many magnificent schemes, social, political, religious, which have 
folloAved each other age after age, has been this: That in almost 
every case they have ignored the rights and powers of one-half of 
the human race. And politics will not go right, society will not go 
right, religion will not go right, that nothing human will ever go 
right except in so far as women go right.’ ” 

“Very, very true,” said Mme. Konrad, “and now, please tell me, 
young ladies, at what time will you start toward the city?” 

“According to our arrangements the vehicle will arrive within 
half an hour,” said Olga. 

“I must not forget,” said the lady, “that Miss Armida felt sorry 
she could not return from the private school in time to bid you good 
by.” 


— 176 — 


we shall never forget her,” said Olga. 

“We shall soon see her again,” joined Ernestine, “and we send 
her our best and most hearty wishes.” 

“So do I,” said Mr. Ivanohe, and very impressively he contin- 
ued: “I wish — and I know you all share the same desire — that we 
could pierce the future and obtain a glimpse of the portentous 
changes that are silently being evolved. Many have been the 
changes that this good mother earth has witnessed, but the one 
that is maturing will eclipse them all! Delving into the pages of 
the world’s history our thoughts reach a focus which compels us 
to learn what will be the future destiny of the nations, and then 
we will all feel the strengthening power derived from the earnest and 
sincere striving for the betterment of human conditions. I will ac- 
company my sister and Miss Palmey to the city, and from there 
my next mission will be at the German frontier. You will please 
accept my sincere, heartfelt thanks, Mine. Konrad, for this kind 
and generous act.” 

“And we express heartily the same feelings,” said Ernestine and 
Olga, “and if you allow us we will prepare ourselves and be ready for 
the appointed hour.” And when the hour finally arrived they were 
all deeply moved and parted in the most friendly way. 

When the travelers reached the city brother and sister sepa- 
rated very reluctantly, and the young man respectfully asked per- 
mission to continue the correspondence with Miss Palmey, which 
the young girl gladly granted. When the two ladies were alone 
Olga asked: 

“Was not this trip very beneficial, having come in contact with 
persons possessing such rare intelligence?” 

“Indeed it was,” replied Ernestine, “and after we have passed 
this uphill part of our way I will tell you what I saw. I have been 
pondering over it a great deal, but I cannot obtain a satisfactory 
idea of its meaning.” 



CHAPTER XIII. 


“Here we are,” said Olga, “now tell me.” 

“Before I speak,” said Ernestine, looking straight into her 
friend’s eyes, “I ask you to promise me not to mention a word of it 
to your brother.” 

“I always willingly do what you ask me to,” answered Olga, and 
Ernestine began: 

“I saw the world apparently lose its basis or foundation. I 
do not mean the material world, you understand. From all parts of 
the known earth arose the people who had taken to heart the dis- 
tress and suffering of their fellow beings, and with ready hearts and 
willing hands they were offering and applying every remedy that 
the situation demanded. But every remedy seemed to fall short, 
and all efforts brought no relief. Untold calamities were in sight, 
such as the world had never witnessed before, and it caused dismay 
to every heart. Mysterious whisperings filled the atmosphere, sug- 
gesting what a complete change the methods employed by the great 
movement called the Brotherhood of Reconstruction would bring 
into being, and in the midst of that great consternation appeared 
before my vision a young man and a young woman, apparently 
ready to lead the great movement, and when I tell you that the 
young man was your brother ” 

“ and the young woman was you!” cried Olga. 

“Hush!” said Ernestine, excitedly. “And now,” she continued, 
“you understand the embarrassment that seized me. And I beg of 
you again, do not mention a word to your brother.” 

“I renew my promise, but with the deepest desire in my heart 
I shall pray that your vision be verified,” said Olga, affectionately 
pressing her friend’s hand. 

They arrived safely at their destination and after having vis- 
ited Ernestine’s proteges, and the school having started again, they 
faithfully engaged in their various tasks and their weekly meetings 
were more interesting than ever, they having so much news to im- 
part to each other. 

At one of the evening meetings Olga saw that her friend had 


— 178 — 


several letters and two magazines in her hand. When tliey wn’o 
seated Ernestine said that the first thing they would do would be 
to read two very contrasting articles concerning women, and she 
began : 

‘‘An extract from the J. Patriot, J. M. : ‘In a previous article we 
have referred to cyclic changes that came during the last quarter 
of the preceding century. Of our remarkable nineteenth century 
not the least eventful circumstance is the advent of Cln-istian 
Science. That it should be the work of a woman is tlie natural 
outcome of a period notable for woman’s emancipation from many of 
the thraldoms, prejudices, superstitions and oppressions of the past.’ 
Here is another: ‘Just as the tumult of war was subsiding and the 
freedom of man had been established, there began in E — , Massa- 
chusetts, the crusade for a higher liberty. Julia Ward Howe had 
written the ‘Hymn of the Republic;’ Mrs. Livermore had done the 
work of love in the hospitals, and many other devoted mothers and 
sisters of men had shown that it was woman’s hour. It was not 
strange, then, that through a woman should come the discovery 
which announced to this age the healing power of truth, and gaVe 
to Christendom the philosophy and method whereby the brotherhood 
of men will be established. The time seems propitious to call for 
woman’s help in the tremendous task of Reconstruction. Let us 
hope and pray that they may come to a timely realization of the 
importance of devoting their influence to the service oi humanity!^” 

“I would like to send these extracts to my brother,” said Cdga; 
“I know he will appreciate them, and you will not object, I know.” 

“Certainly not,” answered Ernestine, “but now, you read this 
and I know you will feel as I do — that the brotherhood of men can- 
not be established, nor can women be emancipated until the present 
wrong system is changed.” And Olga read: “Sins of the Smart 
Set” — “The Rev. Dr. W. C. R. has asserted from his pulpit that 
society’s vices are a menace to the institutions of the country. He 
says that young women high in social life drink, smoke and gam- 
ble. This was asserted from a pulpit in Philadelphia and the same 
assertions have been made of the smart set of other cities. ‘Satan 
still some mischief finds for idle hands to do,’ wrote Watt a long 
time ago. The exclusive, idle, wealthy set have nothing to do. They 
suffer from satiety. They crave excitement. The women drink to 
stimulate jaded nerves. They gamble to pass the time and to obtain 


some enthusiasm. They smoke because they began it as a fad and 
continue because they cannot stop. Since the dawn of history the 
smart set has perverted the standards of life. The ‘400’ of Ninevah 
and Babylon were no worse than those of Rome and decadent 
France. Fielding and Smallet, and later Thackery, tell us of the 
low moral average of high society in England. Nothing less than 
decadence can be expected from this class. They have withdrawn 
from the strength and joy of labor. They are weaklings, physical, 
moral, mental, and they live a life of gross materialism.’ ” 

‘Ts it not strange,” said Olga, “that neither the daily press, nor 
the preachers, and perhaps not even the woman who discovered 
Christian science, do not suggest and uphold the only remedy which 
alone can abolish the moral diseases which degenerate humanity? 
Why! oh, why! do they not study the great saving principles of the 
Reconstructive Movement ?” 

“Indeed, it is very strange,” said Ernestine, “and here I am puz- 
zled as to tne contents of my mother’s letter. Listen : ‘My 
Daughter: Your father and I have finally decided that you must 
come home. We want you to stop your studies abroad. Not a 
single day passes but we must endure undeserved reproaches. The 
strongest reason for our sudden determination to have you return 
home you will learn from the enclosed clipping. From it you will 
see that everybody is on the qui vive. Vague rumors of outsiders, 
but a positive fact for the ‘high set’ who will have the privilege of 
a visit from one of the most prominent members of the Russian 
nobility. You may well imagine the fever of excitement that is 
spreading among the families of the ‘400.’ We have had some such 
events before, but this is to surpass them all, and this one shall not 
pass without our making the greatest effort to have our daughter 
outshine every other girl and — you know, it is the rage these days 
to secure a titled husband for the millionaires’ daughters. So do 
not attempt to plead for a prolonged absence. Within three inontbs 
you must be under your father’s roof.” 

“Now read this one,” said Olga, handing her letter to Ernes- 
tine. She took it, and as she proceeded her face flushed. When she 
got through she said, half reproachfully: 

“If your brother is the noble gentleman my mother alludes to 
in her letter I hope it is the play of hazard, for I cannot believe that 


— ISO— 


lie is in any way directly concerned in the afiairs niy niotlier 
mentions.” 

‘‘He certainly is not, my dear,” said Olga. “We know he has 
for a long time been wishing to visit America and acquaint himself 
with the country he so greatly loves and admires, and very likely 
some of the papers got hold of it and started the rumor. My 
brother’s idea, as you see in the letter, is to visit every city of con- 
sequence in the United States. I must own that at the thought 
that my brother and my dearest friend will be so far away I 
cannot countenance the thought of remaining here alone.” 

“You do not object to accompanying your friend to America, 
do you?” said Ernestine, with a tender expression in her lovely 
countenance. 

“I hardly dared to put my thoughts into words,” said Olga, 
“and now, the sooner the day arrives for our departure the greater 
shall be my joy!” 

“Oh, here is a letter from our friend Florence,” said Ernestine, 
“and listen, Mme. Konrad has projected an excursion to the United 
States of America, and she is the lucky being to accompany her!” 

“Is it possible!” exclaimed Olga. “Why, think of the unex- 
pected news — the delightful news!” 

“I will write to her this evening,” said Ernestine. “I will in- 
form her of the order that came from my home and enquire if our 
company will be acceptable to her. So I will leave you, with a 
hearty good night.” 

The warm and cordial answer from Mme. Konrad, which ar- 
rived in due time, set the hearts of the two girls aglow. 

“Now, my good friend,” said Ernestine, “we have at least two 
months during which we can crowd a good deal into our minds. 
Let us take everything calmly and keep up our studies.” 

“That we will do, but I must own that my thoughts will require 
a good deal of disciplining — they will, in spite of all efforts, be Hying 
across the big ocean.” 

The two friends kept their word. They pursued their studies 
with indefatigable zeal. 

“Look at this document,” said Olga, as she entered Ernestine’s 
room on one of their evening meetings. “Guess where it came 
from?” 


“I s^iould say from your brother,” she answered, looking at it 
critically. 

‘‘You are correct, and there is reading enough to last — I won’t 
say how lon^. Come, let us start at once,” and they went to their 
accustomed pVice. 

“The dear brother. With his busy life how can he find time to 
write so much! Here he begins: ‘My dear sister: It is a solemn 
occasion for us Ewopeans when we first cast our sight on the shore 
of ‘the land of the free and the home of the brave!’ When the 
anxious longing is finally to be realized and we set our feet on that 
portion of mother eaith which is not desecrated with the presence 
of kings and tyrants, supported and upheld by hirelings, ready to 
enforce the demands oi their masters with bayonets and canons! 
The precious sensation of freedom must be experienced in order to 
be appreciated. My heart and soul were waving sky-high, impelled 
by the ideas — the immortal ideas — expressed by the lovers of man- 
kind who founded a free nation — a nation of free people — free from 
the unbearable monarchial yoke! Had their liberty- loving spirits 
not given it a mortal blow this vast hemisphere would be infected, 
as is our continent, with the abominable monarchial regime which 
nips in its bud every step toward true progression and permanent 
happiness. This blessed nation, free from the scourge of militar- 
ism! Big fleets and big armies which our deluded people have been 
trained to believe were the greatness and glory of their nations! 
The next day after my arrival I was walking, my mind filled with 
delightful thoughts, when, to my astonishment, I perceived two men 
walking very fast, and as they reached me they called me by my 
name. I stood still, looking from one to the other. It did not last 
long. A sign was given me and I recognized them as members of 
the Brotherhood of Destruction. ‘We knew of your coming,’ they 
said, apologetically, ‘and you being a stranger in a strange land we 
took the liberty to come and offer you our services.’ 

“ ‘I accept your explanation,’ I said, ‘but I shall be frank and 
tell you that not every person can experience a friendly feeling 
toward an organization which undertakes the task of shadowing the 
members of other organizations, especially when their aims are as 
far apart as ours are; but I will take it for granted that your mo- 
tives are honorable and I thank you for the interest you have shown 
toward me.’ ‘I presume,’ said one of them, ‘you are not aware of 


— 182 — 


the high esteem and respect every member of our organi;iatioii en- 
tertains toward the head member of the Reconstructive Movement. 
We were instructed, if you do not object, to conduct you to a com- 
fortable quarter where you will have the chance to meet some of 
our most zealous workers, who will consider it a great favor to 
meet a man whose name is honored and cherished for the nobility 
and greatness of his character.’ I thanked them for their generous 
intentions, but my quarters had already been engaged and, although 
a stranger in one sense, in another I expected to meet a consider- 
able number of co-workers who had taken hold of the progressive 
ideas of the age. ‘We hope,’ they said as ve walked along, ‘that 
when you come face to face with the conditions in this apparently 
free country, you may consider the methods advocated by our 
brotherhood as the only ones that will meet the exigencies of the 
hour. When you come face to face with the countless number of 
unemployed, the dreadful conditions in the sweat shops, humanity 
brutalized, resulting from man’s cruelty to man, you may stand 
still and ponder where to find a foundation upon which to build 
your Reconstructive Movement!’ 

“ ‘I can see,’ I replied, ‘that the sight of so much injustice and 
cruelty appeals strongly for redress. I know that your hearts are 
not appealed to in vain, and it is often my soul’s desire that for 
the relief of so much existing evil both brotherhoods would unite 
their formidable working forces. Both are true and sincere, but 
both follow opposite directions, and therefore both are determined 
to follow the road that appears to them the best. This blessed 
country has shown to the world what liberty enables mankind to 
achieve. In spite of the many obstacles, can anyone fail to see the 
marvelous results of popular freedom? You know that the masses 
of people in Europe are too ignorant to throw off the burden of 
dynasties and of standing armies and navies.’ ‘But do you not 
know,’ eagerly said one, ‘that the great capitalists are becoming 
more conspicuous and many have gained their wealth by fraud or 
gambling and many have corrupted the courts of the country?’ ‘I 
know — yes I know — what you say,’ I replied, ‘but why can you not 
see the signs which are so clear that the people are getting ready 
to abolish and overcome the barriers that prevent their advance- 
ment, and the clearer they realize their dignity as human beings, 
the stronger will be their demand and the sooner will they obtain 


—183 


tlieil’ full liberty?’ ‘My good man/ said the other companion, ‘It 
will not take you long to find out the full drift of things in this 
country and you will not only hear, but see, the works of this 
damnable capitalist system. You will see how everything is de- 
veloping more and more into cheating. You will see that capitalists 
already number themselves — like the monarchs do — as the Chris- 
tian men to whom God in his infinite wisdom has entrusted the in- 
terests of this country. What is your Reconstructive Movement 
going to do? Will it not prevent the people from obtaining their 
rights?’ ‘No, on the contrary, the principles of our movement will 
arouse in the human heart the moral power which alone can es- 
tablish the ideal social system! We see, as you do, and as the 
people used to see in the past, ‘the wild sea of tyranny and oppres- 
sion,’ but our efforts will be to enlighten and convert the people, 
and not to destroy them.’ 

“Here,” I said, “I have a little article which contains a great 
truth, and I am glad to hear that many clergymen in this country 
are ready to adopt the principles of this great reform movement, 
and this article was written by one of those. Listen: ‘It is true 
that some ideas produce spiritual depression. There is dyspepsia of 
the soul, as well as of the body. Your thoughts may force you inco 
a perfect purgatory, and keep you there until you change your men- 
tal outlook. The apple seed never grows to become a pear tree, 
and the low thought never results in a high life. The level of your 
thinking decides the level of your living, because one is cause and 
the other effect. Love, and you will be loved; hate, and you vill 
be hated. Your attitude toward others is the sure indication of 
their attitude toward you, and the way in which you bear yourself 
toward the world is the product of your conviction as to your duty 
to be kind and helpful, or your determination to selfishly get all you 
can at whatever cost to others. — ^Rev. G. H.’ I have another article 
which states how the financial world undermines the health of the 
‘money kings.’ No wonder that the two extreme classes of the pres- 
ent social system suffer — the capitalists/ and the poor — ^but our hope 
is strong that those two extremes will disappear as soon as they 
understand the truth, which wfill make them free, axid let us not 
forget what Fourier, who discovered the vice of capitalism, said, 
that ‘In society, the degree of woman’s emancipation is the natural 
measure of the general emancipation.’ Upon women’s intelligent 


— 184 — 


and conscientious actions more than upon anything else will depend 
the success of our movement, and I intend to make a careful study 
of what they have accomplished in this country, because this will 
show the great fact that by their own exertion they have obtained 
the rights which are indispensable for human development. Of 
course, thus far they have not obtained their full emancipation, 
but all depends upon their continuance in the reform work. I am 
sorry,’ I said, ‘but here we must part, as this is the place where I 
am expected.’ 

“The two gentlemen bowed and handed me a card, at the same 
time giving me a pressing invitation to visit them at the quarter 
designated on the card. Thanking them, we parted in a very 
friendly way.” 

“This is one chapter,” said Olga, “and I think we have time to 
read some more.” 

“‘I am very agreeably surprised. This is the election year. 
What a stir! I wish I could repeat to you, word by word, the 
speeches I heard by two ladies. To say that they carried their 
audiences with the logic and incisiveness of their arguments is^ put- 
ting it very mildly. There is something inspiring in the presence 
of a woman who is imbued with the importance and weight of 
national matters. It forcibly reminded me of the meeting I at- 
tended in Milano, Italy, when that great champion of morality, 
Signorina M., addressed an audience composed largely of young 
dudes, who had gathered with the intention of sneering her out of 
the hall, but who left with eyes moistened by emotions they were 
not aware of possessing. I am learning that there are no questions 
of importance in which these intelligent women do not take an 
active part, and am very glad to say that whatever they undertake, 
they carry it on successfully. They are workers in many branches, 
and how easily their good influence j)enetrates everywhere. If the 
world has not had thus far a solid foundation upon which to build 
the ideal society, it is owing to the equivocal position assigned to 
women by the short-sighted men. It is extremely gratifying to 
11 ii e tlie eflects of popular government. You remember the great 
conceal the quarters of meeting of the Brotherhood 
of Destruction? In this country, although they are cautious, there 
is nothing to remind one of the manner in which they are conducted 
in Europe. The meji and woinen engaged in that line of work show 


that their bitterest attacks are against existing methods, rather 
than against persons. They are very familiar with European his- 
tory, and I think if the whole people of this fortunate country 

would Well, I declare, this very moment I receive a letter from 

that brotherhood, and as I opened it, the first thing I saw was an 
article entitled, industrial War Just Ahead!’ I send it to you.” 

“This must be it,” said Ernestine, as she picked it up. 

“Yes,” said Olga. “Now\ you read it, please; it must be a good 
article or he Avould not have sent it.” 

“Very well,” replied Ernestine, and began: 

“ ‘A religious minister, in a sermon, speaking of the industrial 
chaos that prevails, and the insulting claims of the monopolists that 
they hold and control by ‘Divine right,’ what the people need for 
their existence and comfor, said: ‘Religion teaches that a man’s 
property is not his own, but is merely held by him in trust for the 
benefit of all. The powerful ones of earth should realize that we are in 
the midst of the same conditions that existed in France and which 
brought on the revolution. The rich and powerful classes in France 
refused to take warning from what was going on about them and re- 
lied upon the power which they fancied they had. The revolution 
came like the eruption of a volcano, and we in America should take 
warning. The earth belongs to God, and not to individual men. 
Therefore, whatever man produces, should be administered for the 
benefit of all, and not for that of the selfish few. The proper so- 
cial condition is not one where men crush down the multitude and 
disregard their claims, but where wealth is so dis- 
tributed that social well-being is within the reach 
of all honest and virtuous men. Right now we are standing- 
over a volcano which may burst forth when least expected. The 
security of men who despise the down-trodden burden-bearers is a 
fancied security.’ ” 

“Great heavens!” exclaimed Olga, “can we blame the members 
of the Destructive Movement, when they see the foolishness of talk- 
ing only about the landlordism of Europe! Excuse me, go on.” 

“ ‘In times past the police and military forces of the country 
have been willing to protect them. They forget that those forces 
are drawn from the ranks of the very people they are now oppress- 
ing, and that their sympathies are naturally with their own people. 
Therefore, if they continue to disregard the wishes of the people 


— 186 — 


and to fling insults at them, the time will come when their calls for 
protection will fall upon unheeding ears. It is a saddening thought 
that a ‘captain of industry’ could become so inflated Avith his oAvn 
arrogance as to lay God-given claim to his holdings upon tlie earth. 
Such a man is but fanning the smouldering embers of hate, discon- 
tent and unrest, so that the prosperity for which he hopes will pay 
the penalty. If they are, temporarily successful in their oppression, 
they must expect the discontent and hatred of the conquered to con- 
tinue to rankle and to burst forth anew as soon as the oppressed 
have rested and recruited their strength.’ 

“Well, well,” said Ernestine, “I must repeat Avhat others say, 
and to Avhich I think you Avill agree: Why do the clergymen tell 
these stories at an almost endless length, and yet do not suggest 
the great necessity of adopting the saving principles of the Recon- 
structive Movement? The Avrong interpretation of religion is tlie 
cause of the eAuls he describes. Think for one moment Avhat he 
says — that a man’s property is not his OAvn, but is merely held by 
him in trust for the beneflt of all.” 

“That is too ridiculous,” said Olga. “Why can they not under- 
stand that the OAvning of worldly goods is what stimulates greedi- 
ness, ambition and selflshness? Did not the unselfish, good man of 
Nazareth tell the young man to sell all his goods and folloAV him? 
I tell you, when the property ‘ shall be in the trust of all, as our 
movement teaches, then, and then only, Avill the benefit be for all.” 

“Bravo! bravo!” said Ernestine,“ noAV, please go on and read 
your brother’s letter.” 

“I will. Here I am: 

“ ‘ Avould acquaint themselves .Avith the historical events of 

the European continent, they could not help but become more ardent 
lovers of popular freedom. Then their vigilance Avould not cease 
day or night, and they Avould pave the path that would lead to the 
attainment of the great human unfoldment! I haA^e listened Avith 
great surprise to a lengthy speech deliA^ered by another very bright 
Avoman. She moved her audience Avith a poAA^er that Avas irresist- 
able. The scenes of deprivation, over-Avork and the lack of human 
kindness she had witnessed AAdth her OAvn eyes, aroused Avithin her 
a torrent of deep sympathy. The Avord pictures she presented AA^ould 
convince anyone that the system of cmel exploitation, ‘the fcAV 
grasping and controlling what Providence intended should be shared 


— 18 ?— 


by all His children/ was what made the world a vale of tears and 
despair. ‘As a rule/ she continued, — and here she assumed an atti- 
tude as of one who spoke Avith authority — ‘the whole responsibility 
is cast upon men!’ Not until I devoted years of observation, Avith 
the impartiality born of the desire for justice, have I reached the 
conclusion A\diich today I hold as indisputable. The cause — the main 
cause — for the sad condition existing in the Avorld, is man’s lack of 
knoAvledge or assumed pride, Avhich has caused him to ignore, to 
undervalue, to oppress Avoman, to consider her a secondary, insig- 
nificant factor in every department of life. In the home she is con- 
sidered by many an object pro Added for man’s gratification. In the 
affairs called public, she has until recently been entirely ignored. 
In religion likeAvise. Socially, she has been encouraged to play tlie 
silly part of the butterfly, and so on. In public affairs AVoman AA^as 
excluded from any direct participation Avhich required sober thought 
and deA^eloped ideas for the common good; her influence Avas per- 
verted, and she either stimulated the loAA^er ambitions in man, or, 
like him, became entirely indifferent. In religion, having from 
childhood been taught that man only is fit for that sacred calling, 
her spirit has accepted the place assigned her by man, and she has 
remained narrow, conservative and incapable, therefore, of lifting 
herself above the material plane, and thus held the race doAvn to 
the same level. Men have caused rivers of blood to floAv upon earth ; 
they haA^e incited and kept alive the spirit of hatred and revenge 
of one nation against another. Men have kept nations and people 
divided, misusing the very means by Avhich they could have become 
united and strengthened into the acknoAvledgment of a universal 
brotherhood. Each religious creed boasted of being the only gate 
through Avhich a safe passage into heaven could be obtained. Men 
have openly shown the grasping and bloody hand, from feudal 
time to this time, in one form or another^ they have openly played 
the role of heartless tyrants. All the odium and execration has 
been hurled at their heads. In this very time, when one of the 
greatest crises is easting its shadoAV upon the Avorld, only the deep- 
est thinkers are discovering the hidden cause, and th& surest remedy 
to avert the threatning cataclysm. Men are combining their greedy 
heads, and planning hoAV to control and gain possession of the pro- 
ducts of their felloAV beings’ toil, and sacrifices of their life energies. 
But, Avho is the feeder of this material greed; Avho silences the pro- 


— 188 — 


test of their conscience; who smooths the tumultuous thoughts 
raised by the bitter complaints of the exploited; who feeds the un- 
holy ambitions, and lives in idleness and luxury, caring little or 
nothing by what channels flow the means by which their notions 
might be gratified? To many my assertion may sound exagger- 
ated, but to such ones I would say, investigate first, and approve or 
disapprove afterwards. In a plain term I will say that the hidden 
cause is woman! And next, that the surest remedy is to reach 
woman’s heart and conscience, and thereby obtain and enlist their 
great influence in the right direction! Have them realize their true 
being so thoroughly that they will no longer be an instrument of 
evil. In this country of ours, the spirit of equity, of equality, would 
have improved its vivifying, uplifting powers, liad Avoman not be- 
come absorbed in Avorldliness. Hoav long Avould the dividing lines 
of aristocracy in the old continent have lasted if women AA^ere made 
to realize the folly and emptiness of their assumd positions as su- 
perior beings? Men AA^ere often tired of the empty coiwentionalities, 
and gladly Avould liaA^e throAvn olf the yokes, but women Avould ob- 
stinately cling to them. Women’s misconception of life has been, to 
bask in splendor, and OA^er-aAA^e and dazzle others by it! Think of 
the joy of some of those AA^omen, Avhich knoAA^s no bounds, Avhen they 
are appointed honorary colonels of a regiment of soldiers, dressed in 
full regimentals, Avhich exalts and popularizes the barbarous, liberty- 
destroying institution — the army! How many are ready to say that 
the influence of Avomen is not felt in the slaughter and human car- 
nage — the bloody wars? 

“A sad example is on record in this country by our southern 
Avomen, for the Avar spirit of the southern AAmmen Avas fiercer than 
that of the men! 

“Women must finally understand that the regeneration of the 
race depends in a great measure upon them, and the grandest ex- 
ample shoAvn in our tAventieth century AAmman’s poAver ought to be 
giA^en to the Avorld by the AA^omen of this country! They OAA^e this 
great duty to humanity, because/ in no other country under the sun 
are Avomen blessed Avith so much freedom. The AVomen of this coun- 
try are reminded again and again that the eyes of the Avomen of the 
Avhole Avorld are turned longingly toAvard this country. No AA^omen 
in the Avorld bear the stamp of independence, the air of liberty and 
the consciousness of having the right of being in the Avorld, as do 


— 189 — 


the American women. Their spirit of freedom is not dimmed by the 
obsequious and servile attitude toward queens in monarchial coun- 
tries. Each woman in this country feels to be a queen in the true 
sense of the word, and that is what clothes her with the natural 
charm which no woman of any other country possesses. The bow- 
ing-down effects upon the minds of the women, and through them 
upon the people, by monarchial courts, the external pomp, the ex- 
clusiveness, casts a demoralizing influence upon those who are ex- 
cluded from the man-created circles of arrogance and assumed su- 
periority, and for this reason the women of this free country are 
expected to stand side by side with their husbands, brothers and 
sons in a movement which cannot attain the needed impulse without 
woman’s co-operation. Nothing must be left undone to make them 
realize the importance of rousing themselves from the lethargy and 
indifference of ages.’ 

‘‘As the lady took her seat a thunder of applause arose from 
the audience ” 

Olga looked at the clock and seeing how late it was, and how 
much more they had to read, they decided to finish it the next 
evening, and so they retired. Earlier than ever before appeared 
Ernestine, and found Olga having everything ready, and imme- 
diately she began: 

“ Thus far, wherever I go, I appear as an ‘incognito,’ but the 

Brotherhood of Destruction knows every step I take. Again I met 
the two members, and I could not refuse to attend one of their 
meetings. Plaving promised them to accept their invitation, they 
came at the appointed evening, and punctually we arrived at the 
hall, which was filled with a large gathering of men and women. 
I was led to the platform, and when the meeting was called to order 
I was introduced to the audience by the presiding officer and the 
greeting was very cordial, indeed. 

“The first speaker of the evening was a lady. She advanced to 
the platform and with a resonant voice she addressed the president 
and members. She spoke slowly and with marked impressiveness. 
She said that for several years she had spent most of her time 
studying the questions that are daily appearing with increasing 
demand for recognition. The chilling indifference of the majority 
of women to everything that would so easily help to smooth the 
way for the radical change that cannot be avoided, had convinced 


190 — 


her that no kind, no sort of mild means Avoiild suffice to shake up 
and break the sleep of centuries. She had tried her best to be 
lenient with women, considering the great disadvantages that, as a 
sex, fliey had been surrounded with, but seeing no hope for the race 
unless that neglected force could be utilized, she had joined the De- 
structive Movement. Not the slightest doubt, after having carefully 
inA^estigated the existing conditions, Avas left in her mind, that at 
the bottom of the tremendous problems Avas Avoman. If Avomen 
could be made to understand the true state of affairs, their interest 
could be enlisted and methods of reconstruction instead of destruc- 
tion ceuld be adopted; if they could be taught the importance of 
iieAvly discovered sciences, they Avould see at once that their oAvn 
safety and happiness demands this great change. 

^‘As you knoAV, I try to penetrate into all stages of society to 
obtain the necessary information, and it requires less strategy to 
obtain it from the Avorking classes than from the idle ones. As 
briefly as possible I Avill relate to you a sad case, that of a seam- 
stress, a first class AA^orking AVoman, Avhose artistically finished gar- 
ments, of the finest materials, reach only the homes of the Avealthy. 
Does she receive an adequate remuneration for lier labor? No, only 
a mere pittance! Think for a moment, that Avoman’s ill paid Avork 
must provide life’s necessities not only for herself and children, but 
for her sick husband! They Ih^e in a small house. I Avent to see 
her several times and found her sitting in a small room, and from 
Avhere she sat AVorking, her anxious eyes Avandered every little 
Avhile into the next room, Avhere upon a bed lay what appeared to 
be a bundle of bones. It Avas the Avasting form of the unfortunate 
husband, stricken doAvn with cancer of the stomach. The sorroAvful 
and anxious Avife, every time she caught sight of the poor man, had 
to wipe the perspiration from her forehead and hands, Avhich seemed 
to be the deAV pressed out from an oppressed soul. Would such con- 
ditions exist if the ^high society ladies’* would tliink of the condi- 
tions, surroundings and soul agonies of the over-Avorked and under- 
paid producers of not only the useful things, but the luxuries of 
life? Would they not change their senseless manner of living? 
Would their minds not perceive that the Avrongs they inflict on the 
helpless Avill rebound back upon the oppressors? The next sad ease 
is that of a AVoman Avhose husband, Avilling to AA^ork and in good 
health, could find none. Her ceaseless Avork had undermined her 


— 191 — 


liealtli. The work she performs compels her to stand on her feet 
the whole day. Her feet and her hands swells and very often her 
face, too. Her work is mingled v/ith heavy sighs. Oh, if she could 
only have some rest! Think, my brothers and sisters, if the women 
of the wealthy class could understand that through the infallible 
law of the oneness of the human family, if the sighs, groans and 
agony of the oppressed could find their way in a subtle, unsuspected 
manner into the abodes of those who believe themselves by reaspn of 
their wealth and position free from the misery their selfishness 
creates, would they not agree with the modern ideas that the pres- 
ent social system must be destroyed?’ There was great applause. 
‘To the shame of our countrywomen,’ she continued, ‘many of them 
show a more cringing andi servile spirit toward foreign titled people 
than foreign women do. Here is an instance: An Italian aristo- 
cratic woman, who owed her dressmaker over one thousand francs, 
complained that English and American customers received more 
attention from her than she did, which made the dressmaker feel 
justified in speaking the truth plainly, saying: ‘Countess, how do 
you suppose I would live without my foreign customers? I must 
have the American and English money in order to shoulder the 
Italian debts.’ It is reported that the ‘justice loving’ American 
woman who was present, called it insolence, impertinence, and re- 
proachfully said to the working woman, ‘How dare you reply to that 
lady in that manner?’ The aversion and contempt of honest and 
useful work is upheld by foreign aristocratic women and instilled 
into the minds of the children, and this is the class to whom our 
wealthy American women, Avhose ancestors honored labor, are be- 
stowing their country’s millions of dollars for the empty honor of 
titles. We are told that some of the foreign pauper aristocrats live 
by toadying to the wealthy and ambitious Americans, who remun- 
erate them for the social favors procured by their acquaintance. It 
is to be deplored that the possession of great wealth has blinded 
our women to the great principles of simplicity, equality and hon- 
orable industry, which have lifted this country above the level of 
any country on earth. It is deplorable that American women are 
becoming guilty of reviving the boundless ambition and extrava- 
gance of the middle ages with the millions wrung from the indus- 
trious men and women, and worse yet, from the children, of their 
country! It is deplorable that women born in a country blessed 


192 — 


with freedom as no country ever was, wilfully trample under foot 
the greatest privilege, or natural right, I might say, granted to citi- 
zens — human freedom. It is deplorable that women who ought to 
be ‘living monuments’ to speed their country on to the greatest 
attainable progress and virtue, . prefer to listen to the deaden- 
ing exhortations of pride and decaying external greatness. It is 
deplorable that the evil example from the foreign aristocrats should 
be adopted by the women of our great, our beloved free country! I 
will conclude my remarks, thanking you for your patience, with the 
statement that if the world is to be reformed, women must be lirst 
reformed. Rapidly and surely this great country will decay, unless 
effective means are secured that will reach their hearts and they be 
made to understand the important position they hold in life.’ 

“The applause that followed was deafening. When order was 
restored the presiding officer arose, making very complimentary re- 
marks to the lady speaker, and then, turning toward me, he said he 
knew the audience would consider it a great favor if I would be wil- 
ling to deliver an address. My answer was, that I would have pre- 
ferred to remain silent, but the calls were so loud and persistent 
that I could not help but rise and face the eager audience. My first 
remark was that I was very glad to witness their earnest desire 
for the betterment of the world’s present condition, and above all 
I appreciated the great interest in this matter shown by the women. 
It is upon the demonstration of women’s enthusiastic and sincere 
interest in reform work that its final result rests. It is a most won- 
derful sign of the time in which we live, their departure from the 
old and narrow sphere where they have been confined from time im- 
memorial. It will demand man’s keen sense of justice and wisdom 
not to thwart their aspirations. I agree with the views expressed 
by the lady. It is deplorable that American women should forget 
the duites they owe their country and to the memory of their fore- 
fathers’ sacrifices to establish a free government. But, thank 
heaven, the number of these women is not large. It is true 
that their influence for evil is great, especially for the unthinking 
portion. It certainly is deplorable that American women lower 
themselves and their country, by not holding themselves above a 
class of suitors who are the cringing slaves and adherents to mon- 
archial institutions which have been built on pillage, blood and the 
basest human passions. Those women wilfully place themselves ii) 


—loa- 


the way of their country’s progress; they close their ears to the 
earnest appeals of their country-women, who realize and freely ex- 
prebs themselves that their highest aim is to uplift their fellow- be- 
ings and contribute toward an ideal order of human life. I firmly 
believe that men would grow weary of accumulating vast fortunes 
if women refused to become participators in the unholy exertions, 
and were to find the true happiness in a useful life, surrounded by 
the charms that appear in a life devoted to mutual helpfulness and 
willing usefulness. Freedom is the natural condition toward which 
every intelligent being aspires. To be free! How the word in itself 
expands the human soul! Free from bondage, free from ignorance, 
free from poverty, free from all evils and suffering. 

‘‘Oh, you fortunate ones, born in a free country! It is not easy 
for you to grasp the feeling of submission and servility imbibed 
with the mother’s milk, and engrafted with almost every breath, 
inculcated into the minds of monarchial subjects, in the homes, 
schools and churches. It was reserved for our age to make the dis- 
('overy, by what force and instrumentality the race could be kept in 
that condition, and let us hope that this important discovery will in 
due time combine and unite every refonn movement so that the 
whole world will witness the great and glorious success of the ‘New 
Era.’ 

“Having finished my remarks and taken my seat, a deep bass 
voice was heard coming from the middle of the hall, addressing the 
president. Looking in that direction, I noticed a tall, robust young 
man. At the invitation of the president he came forward to the 
platform. As he stood there lie slowly glanced around, and with a 
voice that resounded from one end of the hall to the other, began: 

“ ‘Mr. president, ladies and gentlemen : I might have kept my 
seat among the audience, as I have not much to say, were it not 
that I like to look into the faces of my hearers, which never fails 
to give me inspiration. Our worthy guest has touched upon the most 
important points that preoccupy the minds of the members of our 
Brotherhood. It comes with redoubled force when heard from the 
lips of one who has seen, and knows from personal contact, the" con- 
ditions existing in foreign countries. Revolutions, with all their 
horrors, have brought but very little amelioration to the masses of 
the people. Their aspirations for uprising' have proven abortive, 
and the cause for so much waste of blood and life, and the contin- 


— 194 — 


uation of the wrong social order, has been that the right blow never 
was struck at the root of the evil. The bandage that blind-folded 
the credulous people has never been torn sufficiently from their 
eyes so they could perceive the light and become convinced of their 
power and their rights as human beings. They have been led to 
look at life through the dark mist of superstition, and to) believe in 
privileged beings to whom they had to bow submissively. We be- 
lieve that the time for a radical change is at hand. When each in- 
dividual will understand and live up to the realization that each 
one is his own king and priest, the thinking power and capacity will 
no longer be crushed, and then life will be what everybody intui- 
tively longs for, a life of love, peace, harmony and plenty! The 
Brotherhood of Destruction would gladly avoid the violent blovrs 
which are to destroy a system which is sustained only by toil and 
deprivation of the great masses of humanity, but it would be wasted 
time to indulge in remedies that have proven worse than useless 
in the past, and at this stage it would simply be criminal. The 
Brotherhood of Deconstruction intends to use methods Avhich would 
be excellent if oppressors and oppressed had not become hardened, 
the one rushing on in his evil ways, the other overwhelmed and un- 
able to see a way of escape, and succumbs as an easy prey, therefore 
nothing but the most heroic measures will shake them sufficient!}^ so 
that they will become conscious of the dreadful conditions which must 
be held before their vision in a glaring light so their ]nind cannot 
forget nor resist the impressions, and their understanding will clear 
the ideas of the pressing demands of the twentieth century.’ A 
great applause arose from the audience as the speaker returned to 
his seat. All of a sudden the words of the poem, ^^Struggle for the 
Right,” appeared before my mind. I approached the president and 
asked permission to recite it before the assmbly. He readily con- 
sented, and I begged them to listen to a poem Avhich seemed to me 
adapted for the occasion. It had been published some years ago in 
one of the reform papers and it had impressed my mind so deeply 
that not a word had left my memory: 


“We want no flag, no flaunting rag. 
For liberty to light; 

We want no blaze of murderous guns 
To struggle for the right. 


— 195 — 


Our spears and swords are printed words, 
The mind our battle plane; 

We’ve won such victories before, 

And so we shall again. 

‘‘We love no triumph sprung of force. 

They stain the brightest cause; 

’Tis not in blood that liberty 
Inscribes her civic laws. 

She writes them on the people’s hearts. 

In language clear and plain; 

True thoughts have moved the world before. 
And so they shall again. 


“We yield to rone in earnest lo-^e 
Of freedom’s cause sublime; 

We join the cry of ‘Fraternity,’ 

We heed the march of time. 

And yet we grasp not spike or spear. 
Our victories to obtain; 

We’ve won without their aid before. 
And so we shall again. 


“We want no aid of barricade 
To show a front to wrong; 

We have a citadel in Truth, 

More durable and strong. 

Calm words, great thoughts, unflinching faith, 
Have never striven in vain; 

They’ve won our battles many a time. 

And so they will again. 


“Peace, progress, knowledge, brotherliood, 
The ignorant may sneer, 

The bad deny, but we rely, 

To see their triumph near. 

No widow’s tears shall load our cause, 


— 196 — 


No blood of brethren slain; 

We’ve won without such aid before, 

And we shall win again! 

^‘1 quietly retired to my seat, and a solemn silence lasted a few 
minutes, when a very aged and feeble looking man arose. He ap- 
peared excited and eager to speak, and calling the president, he be- 
gan to move toward the platform, assisted by a young man. When 
he finally reached the place he straightened himself, and, turuiug 
toward me with a searching look and a gesture of impatience, he 
said: ‘Ah, my dear sir! You are a young and trusting man; men 
of my age, who have given your remedies a trial and have become 
convinced of their uselessness, cannot help but feel a dreadful pain 
at the thought that your movement has chosen the wrong road, for 
again, through short-sightedness, the life: long sacrifices of thousan-ls 
of our fellow beings will be wasted, ah, worse than wasted!’ Here 
he wrung his hands and shook his white head. ‘Men and women! 
IMembers of the brotherhood of Destruction, for your own gooil, and 
that of the whole world, do not turn from the path you have fol- 
lowed thus far! The existing wrongs cannot be removed by any- 
thing milder than the measures adopted by this far-sighted Broth- 
erhood. We must tear down the old structure before a new one can 
be constructed.’ A loud applause followed. ‘My career,’ he con- 
tinued, ‘will soon be closed, but I beg you, brothers and sisters, 
strike the blows, strike them heavy and without merc}^, and then — 
victory, complete victory, will be the reward of your great work!’ 

“Everyone in the hall arose to their feet and the applause was 
deafening. The speaker stood straight and looked as if he had 
gained much strength. Baising both hands, he made a sign as if 
asking the assembly to take their seats. When order was restored, 
he began: ‘We all understand that the perpetual want of every 
human being is food, clothing and shelter, and the earth is the great 
storehouse of everything that is needed/ fo^* all those natural wants, 
and who deprives the large masses of human beings of them 

“‘The capitalists!’ cried aloud the audience. 

‘•‘Ve;! and how often do we hf3ar our short-sighted people con- 
demn ‘only’ the crushing landlordism of Europe? Now, please, 
those of you who have not read this plain article, please listen: 
‘Who causes war? The capitalists. Who adulterates food? The 


— 197 — 


capitalists. Who import scab labor? The capitalists. Who em- 
ployes child labor? The capitalists. Who bribes the state legis- 
latures? The capitalists. Who despises the best class of peo- 
ple — the working people? The capitalists. Who promotes 
swindling schemes? The capitalists. Who has no respect for the 
public? The capitalists. Who bribes the press to deceive the pub- 
lic? The capitalists. Who is trying to reduce labor to the level 
of a machine?’ ‘The capitalists!’ everyone exclaimed. ‘I might 
continue,’ said the speaker, ‘but do we not all understand the reason 
why this whole country is standing over a volcano. Can anything 
else result from the bitter, ever-increasing war between capital and 
labor?’ 

“‘Nothing — nothing else!’ shouted everyone, and with a firm 
step the speaker returned to his seat. 

“When quiet was restored, I again arose, and with a strong con- 
viction, I said that the hearty demonstrations I had witnessed 
against the existing evils were like a prophecy to me, that in due 
time the Reconstructive forces would attract all others into the line 
that would lead to the world’s salvation, and so ended the night’s 
meeting. My dear sister, this is a long letter, but I know you like 
to hear the news and you may receive another in a few days, as I 
will carry a plan to its finale, and that is of placing a young man 
in a position where he will be of great help to our cause. My best 
regards to Miss Palmey. Your affectionate brother, Ivanohe.” 

“My good brother is right,” said Olga. “I like to hear the news, 
don’t you?” 

“Indeed I do,” heartily answered Ernestine, and they re- 
tired for the night. 


— 198 — 


CHAPTER XIV. 

Every day Olga was anxiously waiting for the letter promised 
by her brother, and in due time it arrived. “Come to see me this 
evening/’ she told her friend, as she saw her in the afternoon, and as 
early as they could they were again together, and Olga began to 
read : 

“In looking around wherever I go, dear sister, I discover such a 
great waste of mind forces, especially among the industrial classes, 
that I feel as if our movement ought to be pushed forward at a 
greater speed, but the second thought suggests that the ground must 
first be prepared before the seed can be soAvn. This case refers to a 
chief cook. One day, Avhile resting in front of the hotel, a fine car- 
riage passed, draAvn by two handsome horses. Two Avaiters Avere 
placing more chairs in front of the building, AAdien I heard one of them 
remark : “That gentleman is the OAvner of the Hotel H — , one of tlie 
most fashionable in the city. He has some trouble because his chief 
cook has taken sick and thus far he can find no one to take charge 
of that important position. 

“ ‘To be chief cook in such a hotel/ replied the other, ‘must 
bring a good salary.’ 

“ ‘Yes, once upon a time they Avere Avell paid, but now, you knoAV 
hoAV Avages have been lowered.’ 

“They entered the building and I began to meditate upon Avhat I 
had heard. My mind Avas immediately made up. You may disapprove 
it, or feel amused at what I did. Next day, under pretext of seeking 
employment in the hotel, and in order to take in the whole situation, 
I Avore clothes that Avould indicate that I Avas in need of Avork, 
and Avent to the proprietor. When he saAV me, he asked coldly Avhat 
I Avanted.' I told him I Avas, trying to find something to do. He 
turned lialf aAvay, and then brusquely asked: ‘What can you do; 
can you clean the yard and do that kind of Avork?’ ‘Yes, sir/ I 
replied. 

“He rang a bell and pretty soon a man appeared and humbly 
enquired what Avas the master’s order. ‘I have noticed/ said the 


-log- 


master, ‘that the yard is not kept as neat and clean as I like to see 
it. Take charge of' this man, and see that the work be done, and no 
time wasted.’ ‘Very well, sir,’ the man replied, and beckoning to me, 
he led me away through a large corridor, which opened into a 
smaller one, and from there wef, stepped into a room which was full 
of all sorts of odors. A door was opened and I caught a glimpse of the 
kitchen. It was a large room, arranged with every modern appliance 
saving and convenient to the owner, but very trying for the per- 
formers of the kitchen work. In a short time I discovered every- 
thing I was looking for — the condition of the working people. All 
the machinery of the basement wa:s under the kitchen floor, and ran 
mostly by crude oil. The steam and heat and the strong smell of the 
gases, the heat underneath, that kept the kitchen flooi* hot, it was no 
wonder that not only the chief cook, but several others, were taken 
sick. I took every advantage to gain information, and while examin- 
ing minutely everything and every line of work performed by the 
overheated and overworked men, the thoughts crossed my mind, oh, 
ho-w different would every human being act if they understood the 
true, the sublime mission of life, the mission to love and help one 
another, instead of competing against and oppressing one another! 
When we think of the obstacles that the wrong system interposes 
at the heart and genius of human beings, another thought arises: 
How can the system be changed if we don’t change the Avrong forms 
of existing governments? I heard recently in this country what Avas 
nothing ncAV in the old continent to hear — that one of the croAvned 
heads OAvns personally forty- three castles, thirty -tAA^o toAAms, Avith 
annexed campaign; tAventy buildings in one city, tAvelve in another, 
and eight iji still another; thirty- tAVO breAveries, thirty- four mills, 
and sixteen^ furnaces, the value of Avhich is estimated to amount to 
six hundred sixty million dollars, and at the same time is mentioned 
the dreadful state of the millions of subjects, Avho must constantly 
struggle and can never obtain AA^hat is necessary to maintain, as it 
ought to, the precious human life. Has any kind or form of govern- 
ment thus far ever used its poAA^ers for the good of the dear people? 
Surely not, and this is the tAventieth century great problem. The 
Avhole people must be aroused, the whole people must be informed 
and educated so they Avill understand, and become useful instruments 
for the reconstruction of a new and perfect system.” 

“Then,” exclaimed Olga, “the enlightened people Avill surely no 


— 200 — 


more build and maintain governments that are unfit to appear before 
our advanced age!” 

‘'But think of the enormous amount of intellectual work that 
will be needed to reach all the people,” thoughtfully said Ernestine. 

‘‘My good friend,” said Olga,, “remember what one of our mem- 
bers so truly has expressed, ‘that the hypocrisies and shams of life, 
which veneer us with that which we are not, and prevent us from 
being that which we are,’ will torment us no longer, an dyou see all 
forms of slavery will disappear. I must stop and go on with the 
reading.” 

“Yes, please go on, for it is very interesting.” 

“Having obtained all the information I needed, I sent a notice 
to the proprietor that I had finished the work and could not remain 
any longer. The matter being settled, I went to visit the chief cook. 
I found him hardly able to stand on his feet. He was a young man 
with a finely shaped head. I was very favorably impressed by his 
appearance, and introduced myself as a member of a movement which 
was trying to bring about a change for bettering the conditions of 
the working people. A weary smile appeared on his pale face. 

“ ‘Do you belong to that kind of people,’ he said, ‘who are 
pointed at as cranks and Utopians?’ 

“ ‘I presume those are the names given by the persons who have 
never given a thought to the possibility to obtain that desirable and 
good change. We are recruiting individuals ip every land whose 
natural gifts mark them out as useful instruments to carry on the 
immense plan of reconstruction. I have heard that you had started 
out in life as a sculptor, and are now struggling in a position to 
which you are not adapted. Our recruiting agents have made a 
close study of human nature, and nothing escapes their sharp per- 
ceptions. Allow me to ask you, are you satisfied with your present 
condition ?’ 

“ ‘Decidedly not ! ’ he answered, with a strong motion of his head. 
‘At the time I learned this trade cooks were well paid, but now we 
must take what we are offered or go tramping, as the labor market 
is overrun with idle hands. It is true, I had started out as a sculp- 
tor; I was passionately in love with that inspiring task. My 
teachers were untiring in their praises and had prophesied a great 
success, but everyone’s anticipations were cut short. My father 
was suddenly taken sick, and after a protracted illness he was taken 


— 20i— 

from us, and we were left in a very poor condition. I could no 
longer pursue my studies, and in order to help keep the wolf from the 
door I had to take hold of anything in order to earn something. 
Finding no permanent occupation, I decided to learn the cooking 
business. It was a very hard task to give up what inspired every 
thought with ideal conceptions, and it was a painful experience to 
enter into an occupation so foreign to my inclinations, but what 
could I do? I had not the heart to leave in want the dear ones who 
depended upon me, so I became resigned to my fate. Not a day 
passes but the ugly contrast is before my eyes. The contrast be- 
tween monuments, statues and all other artistic productions, and the 
piles of dead flesh which I must cut and trim for hours every day, 
and besides that, the working place is not fit to be used. It destroys 
the health of even strong persons. The hot kitchen floor, the deaf- 
ening roar of the large stoves, caused by using the crude oil, the 
steam and heat, and the strong smell of gases — ^but what can 
we do?’ 

“ Tt is a hopeful sign of the times,’ I said, Svhen the working 
people begin to take notice of their surroundings. It points out the 
fact that the inner being is awakening; they become aware of the 
poisonous doses administered to them — overwork, submission, depriva- 
tions; it is the best sign of the times when the producers of every 
human comfort begin to become conscious that they are worthy 
human beings. Among the members of the Reconstructive Movement, 
there are a number of wealthy men and women whose views have 
become so clear in regard to the duties they owe to their fellow beings 
that they have overcome all worldly claims, and they know that 
Avealth and fame have no significance before the eyes of our impar- 
tial Father. Therefore, they have consecrated their earthly posses- 
sions to carry to a successful end this noble, humane movement. 
They have founded, and support, the institutions Avhich are intended 
for the development to the highest perfection of every latent talent 
that is discoA^ered in men and Avomen. We do not compel anyone 
to attend those places of learning, but so far everyone has accepted 
it Avith great enthusiasm, and each one being free to folloAV the 
vocation for Avhich they are best fitted, they make the most remark- 
able progress. Those good members are the sincerest friends of the 
despised class of people. They Avill not neglect to have the outAvard 
things to correspond Avith the good AAdiich is innate in. mankind. The 


— 202 — 

homes they want to see filled with pure joy, to typify them as the 
heavenly homes. The outward surroundings shall he loA'ely and up- 
lifting, to demonstrate the aspiring sentiments of the human family.’ 

“ ‘My dear sir,’ said the young man,- ‘your words produce in me 
a peculiar eftect; they reach deep down into my heart. I have never 
heard expressions of that kind before; they produce a glimpse into a 
future too bright to contemplate. It is all so new and so strange.’ 

“ ‘It may apepar so to those who have not had a chance to dis- 
cover their latent possibilities. I will leave some of these pamphlets, 
which are very instructive, and if you are willing to enter into some 
of those institutions, you will please notify me, and then everything 
will be adjusted so you will find yourself again following your nat- 
ural calling.’ 

“ ‘Accept my most sincere thanks,’ he said, a7id so we parted, and 
I feel certain that my errand has not been in vain, and that our brother- 
hood will gain another active supporter. Adieu, my dear sister, and 
please remember me to your good friend. I.” 

“Your brother,” said Ernestine, “deserves the respect and lore 
of every individual; he does not tire to inform, and thereby keep 
alive the burning spirit of reform. By the flashes of light that must 
unavoidably pierce through the consciousness of every being when 
their sense of right is strongly appealed to, they must certainly feel 
the compelling force to do their duty, and the consequence will be 
that the startling changes will undermine and destroy the mon- 
strous system based upon and supported by the lowest propensities.” 

“Yes, you are right,” said Olga, “and I should not doubt that 
we will get letters from him every day, for it seems that he iiileuds 
to keep us informed of everything he does and sees in tliat new 
country. And now, let us retire,” and so they did. 

Two days later Olga was not surprised to receive another letter, 
and it goes without saying that the two friends met again at their 
usual place of reading. 

“From the size of this letter,” said Olga, “we must come to the 
conclusion that my brother intends to make a record of what is 
going on in the field of reform. I will begin: ‘Dearly Beloved Sister: 
One thing I very much regret is, that you and Miss Palmey could 
not be present at the first meeting I have attended in this country 
held by the members of the Reconstructive Movement. I am ver}^ 
sorry that I can give you only the most salient points. It was a 


— 2oa 


remarkable meeting. At the appointed hour I entered the hall. The 
members were arriving and greeting each other very cordially. I 
noticed the tasteful decorations and the artistically executed em- 
blems. The appearance of both men and women was respectable. 
The women were attired very tastefully, but there was nothing showy 
or frivolous about them. Taste and comfort were the two prominent 
features in their personal appearance. The presiding officer was a 
lady. She invited me to take a seat on the platform, and as she 
introduced me, said it was with grateful hearts that they extended 
the most cordial welcome to the head member of the Brotherhood. 
‘Welcome, brother, Avelcome!’ was expressed with touching warmth 
by everyone present, and Avith the same AA^armth of feeling I returned 
the sincere greetings. The meeting Avas opened Avith a duet, sung by 
a young lady and a young gentleman. It Avas a thrilling song — a 
modern patriotic song. Next in order Avas a speech by a \^ery elo- 
quent speaker, a middle-aged gentleman. His speech Avas excellent, 
but as I Avant to send you a lady’s speech, Avhich I knoAV Avill interest 
you and your friend very much, and it is pretty long, I haA^e only 
AAU’itten doAAui Avhat he said Avas the. most interesting portion of his 
address. Tliis he quoted from an article published by A. W. R. It 
began : 


“ ‘Were half the poAver that fills the world with terror, — 

Were half the Avealth bestoAved on camps and courts 
Given to redeem the human mind from error, 

There were no need of arsenals and forts.’ 

“Of course, as I told you before, I can give you only the most 
salient points. He began: ‘The Avriter said: ‘I think the time is 
ripe for the popularizing of the NeAV Thought. The critical analysis 
of economic history and scientific investigation have upset many of 
the cherished tenets of the church. There is no use for Christians to 
hide their heads in the sand, like the ostrich, and declare that every- 
thing Avill go on as usual. A rational belief in things of the soul must 
take the place of dogma. Superstition must giA^e^ Avay to truth. On 
the other hand, there is real danger of so tincturing our evolutionary 
ideas Avith materialism as to make them so repulsive to many Avho 
Avould break aAvay from the despotism of the church, that they Avill 
be driA’^en back to tliat AAdiich is unsatisfying, but Avhich is ahvays 


— 204 — 


i-eliictantly given up. To this latter class, particularly, belong the 
women. The feminine mind is always intuitive, and clings to spir- 
itual things, even when reason rebels. I can clearly see that the Re- 
constructive Movement will become a motor power that will move 
the world with the swiftness of the cyclone when woman wakes up 
to a positive assertion of her rights .and privileges. For her my 
heart ever pulsates, for always has she been in seiwitude to the 
tyranny of man. He has ever courted and petted her, and in this 
very act he has proclaimed his dominion over her. In the lower walks 
of life he has prostituted her to liis passion; in the higher he has 
purchased her for money. He has made the marriage relation 
a means of petty tyranny, and in tlie workshop the capitalist has 
used her as a pad to repel the demands of male labor, The church 
has been willing to take IxCr silent devotion, but her expanding genius 
has been met with the sullen mandate of the scriptures: ‘Let the 
women keep silence in the church.’ Tf she would learn, let her ask 
her husband.’ But in these years of revolutionary thought she is 
daring to express herself. She has essayed to think, and when once 
aroused to thought, it is with an intensity of which man is not capa- 
ble, and who can measure the force of thought? She thinks, but she 
will not think the thoughts of the materialist, for her intuition tells 
her that she is immortal. In these later days, when the poet’s dream 
of life seems not so difficult of realization, the New Thought, so- 
called, has burst, full-blossomed, to our vision. The Reconstruction of 
the New Thought will charm the feminine mind, and offer to woman 
a field for her activity in which she will become such a power that 
the race will be rejuvenated. It will turn her eyes from the altar to 
her own inward divinity. On this she will build her liberty, and 
motherhood will express strength instead of weakness.’ 

“My dear sister, I wish I could write down the whole speech, for 
it was very instructive, but the time is too short. The following is 
by the lady I have mentioned before. She was escorted to tfie plat- 
form. She appeared about middle-aged, but was strong and well 
preserved. 

“ ‘Brothers and Sisters,’ she began, ‘can anyone truthfully admit 
that human existence is what our Creator intended it should be? 
Has not life always been considered a mystery, and has not humanity 
been taught that all the woes of life were inevitable, and notliing 
but the process of destruction or death could deliver it from them ? We 


205— 


are now living in an age when those dark mysteries are disappearing. 
Many individuals have had glimpses of what will some day become 
established facts. Happiness has been sought on a plan of existence 
which could result only in discord. Why? Because genuine happi- 
ness was not understood. Worldly happiness has never assisted man- 
kind to eradicate and disintegrate the destroying elements. On the 
contrary it has fed them, and, therefore, seiiishness, greed, pride, envy 
and jealousy — those destroying elements — have prevented mankind 
from fulfilling its supreme mission, the perfect reconstruction of 
society. To succeed in carrying on those great errors, one -half of 
the race had to be ignored, and thereby ft became the hidden factor 
of evil. We are warned again and again against the corrupting in- 
fluences of great wealth, but in the prominent papers of the country 
not a word of disapproval is to be found against the unheard-of ex- 
travagance practiced by women. On the contrary, they compliment 
them. We read of one heiress who never did any useful work, who 
had a wedding robe ornamented with twenty thousand dollars worth 
of lace ! Think, twenty thousand dollars worth of lace on one dress ! 
Is it any wonder that men steal God’s wide acres in order to fill their 
purses and furnish the means to satisfy woman’s pride ? Everywhere 
in this country — think, my friends, in this cauntry, where people 
were once plain and industrious — how the enervating influences of 
luxuries are increasing! Who are the leaders in these destroying 
paths? Unfortunately they are the women! The fact is much com- 
mented upon that greediness for wealth has become a controlling 
passion; that there is no record in the history of the world where 
individuals have succeeded in amassing such colossal fortunes. If 
the wives and daughters of the many millionaires would let their 
conscience and the highest sentiments of their hearts rule their daily 
lives, would they not become conscious that their duty is to check 
their husbands’ and fathers’ greed by refusing to use the money 
extorted from the great masses reduced to( a wage slavery? Would 
they not become the saviors by helping to establisli a system that 
the twentieth century demands? If the minds of the women are 
not replete with elevated thoughts, woe to the world! Listen to this 
extract from a reliable paper: ‘Treatment for the drinking habit 
among the ‘400’ is now almost as common among physicians as treat- 
ment for coughs and colds. It is the life that society women lead 
that causes it. They have no time to eat or sleep, and consequently, 


- 206 -^ 


they must turn to Avluit will give them strength to go through their 
soeial functions — intoxicating liquor. It takes the place of food and 
is already digested. Then, when their vitality is burned out, they 
drink more and more, until they are its slaves and are wrecked. 
Society women drink to live!’ Luxury is demoralizing to a frightful 
degree; it i^ diverting true, womanly, noble nature in this free land, 
as it has among the exclusive classes in Europe. Their souls are de- 
spoiled of every sentiment of love and meekness. Their select circle is 
alive Avith pride to outshine one another, not in useful and good lives, 
but in frivolities and idleness. If the evil influences emanating from 
the so-called high classes could be restricted Avithin their circle, the 
gain Avould be great, but their starved souls can find no rest unless 
their extravagant doings are published and adv^ertised, and jealousy 
and eiiA^y are aroused in the hearts of those not considered their 
equals ! The dreadful marks of an unlimited and unchecked greed for 
money and self-aggrandizement are transmitted and stamped upon 
the innocent infants in this, our country, Avhich AA^as once the model 
of unaffected simplicity. Why should our Avomen poison the hearts 
of their offspring, inculcating in them the spirit of presumption and 
haughtiness and every other evil tendency? Would our forefathers, 
Avho abhorred and fled from the continent Avhere such ostentatious 
behaviors Avere practiced, give their approval to doings so out of har- 
mony, so opposed to the great principles of a government intended 
to be a government ‘of the people, by the people and for the people V 
Here is a morsel throAvn out to feed the public mind by the public 
press. Tell me, if the subtle, poAverful substances Avhich build iq) 
human character are not disturbed or destroyed in contemplating 
neAvs of this kind? Listen: ‘A six-months-old baby, the grand- 
daughter of a bonanza king, has six servants to attend to her daily 
Avants. These are two trained nurses, a matron of the nursery, a 
French maid, a special laundress, and a coachman. Her Alderney 
coAV is cared for by tAvo men having no other duties to perform. The 
child has a thousand dollar point lace coat, and one of her jeAvels is 
Avorth fifteen thousand dollars. If no other babies come in her Avay, 
she Avill inherit a fortune of fifty million dollars.’ My good friends, 
you knoAv that there are thousands of poor babies Avho are starving 
because their mothers have not enough nourishment in their 
emaciated bodies to give them life! Still another child of a rail- 
Avay magnate, the press informs us, has forty ncAV dresses, and her 


—207— 


menagerie of animals is removed to the summer resort to amuse lier 
during the summer. The grandfathers of these pampered pets 
secured privileges and acquired wealth that justly belonged to 
the people, and that is the cause why thousands of babies are hun- 
gry. Now, my friends, think for a moment: Fourteen persons en- 
gaged to wait upon a six-months-old baby! The Great Teacher, who 
understood the true meaning of life, was not surrounded by so much 
servile attendance, and he grew and matured into the glorious re- 
deemer of the world! Is it not a weakness, or rather, is it not 
criminal, to tolerate conditions so antagonistic to the common good? 
Fourteen persons taken from a line of occupation that would produce 
ease and comfort by utilizing their natural capacities in useful en- 
deavors. Think, those fourteen persons need food, clothing, etc. By 
whom are they produced? And can they return a just equivalent for 
the energies spent for their supportj by the real toilers? Then con- 
sider the immoral effects upon the minds of the helpless children — 
the two extremes, the starving ones and the over-indulged ones. If 
the natural wants of the poor are ignored, and they are deprived of 
opportunity to obtain full development, the other extreme reaches 
the same baleful results, for they grow in the delusive pleasure 
grounds of the low senses. Here is another case: ‘A baby, aged four 
months, worth $10,000,000 now, and scheduled to have $30,000,000 
when he reaches his majority. He is the baby that is to be named 
with great ceremony. The christening ceremony will be performed 
by Rev. W. N. V., Bishop Coadjutor of the Protestant Episcopal 
diocese of R. J., assisted by Rev. E. W. P., Rector of the church. This 
church received $45,000 from the father and uncle of the boy.’ There 
is a great deal of ridiculous fuss made by the press dispatch, and 
commented upon by a reform paper, which says: ‘Our neighbor has 
a baby four months old, prettier, brighter, sweeter, and yet no mitred 
bishop of the holy church has poured consecrated water on his little 
bald head. All that fantastic show before high heaven is not made 
on account of the baby, but for the sake of the $10,000,000. The 
bishop baptized the money instead of the baby. The crowd came out 
to see the heir of millions instead of the heir of immortality. The 
preachers prostrated themselves before a golden baby, instead of 
humbly worshipping the father of the whole human family. The 
abominable, exclusive, aristocratic spirit, which has in all the epochs 
of the world divided the human family and violated the most sacred 


— 208 — 


comiiuind of ‘J^ove God above all things, and tliy neighbor as thyself,’ 
a|)pears in this free land in the form, of capitalism. It is as dan- 
gerous to the comfort and happiness of the human race as was the 
feudal system. It appropriates and controls the productions of 
human skill and ingenuity for its own selfish ends!’ Listen again: 
‘A starving mother sells her baby for one hundred dollars. The' life 
of a baby was put up for barter. It was not an auction sale, ,but 
the starving mother gave to the public a chance to bid. for the life 
of her child. The sale was made and one hundred dollars was paid 
for a human being. The bill of sale was made out, it was witnessed 
by a lawyer and two others, and the seal of a notary public was 
attached. The matter was submitted to the registering officer, who 
said: ‘The sale of human life is a violation of the constitution. I 
suppose this document, however, will have to be accepted for filing.’ 
The father was out of work and the family almost starving. In her 
despair the mother decided to sell her child. She was nearly heart- 
broken, but destitution and want hardens even the softest hearts!’ 

“ Tt is horrible!’ exclaimed everyone in the audience. ‘Follow- 
ing,’ continued the speaker, ‘are some comments from a reform paper: 
‘No more horrible or monstrous fact could be told that would dis- 
close the heartlessness and vileness of the present system under 
which we are living. Even the uncivilized systems under which 
savages used to live, never led to such horrible outcomes! It is 
plain enough that the system under which we live is fiendish, and yet 
the short-sighted, idiotic people, shout ‘Great is our civilization!’ 
Has the world ever followed, and is the world following, the wise 
teachings which alone can bring real contentment and peace ? Are those 
who claim the authority to lead the way living and practicing the 
life-giving principles so plainly given for the world’s guidance, or 
are they empty words, fit only to fill the mouths of the pretending 
leaders to salvation ? Is it true, or is it not, that ‘All that is in the 
world, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, 
but is of the world, and the world passeth away, and the lust 
thereof?’ The world seems to have forgotten the solemn Avords: 
‘Verily, I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the 
kingdom of heaven.’ And again: ‘I say unto you. It is easier for a 
camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter 
into the kingdom of God!’ The two extremes Avould surely not exist 
\n society, and humanity would be given the chance to rise higher, 


— 209 — 


and tiie true Divine iinag© and Likeness of the Father would be re- 
flected in every one of his childrn, if those living words were well 
understood. It would free this planet from every pretender who clogs 
the wheel of true progress, and from every supporter of institutions 
that strangle every upward aspiration on the part of humanity. 
Many are living who can perceive the crimes that are turned into 
spectacles to aAve into servile submission the ill-trained masses of 
whole nations. Consider this history of a crime, written by Victov 
Hugo, in a squalid attic in Spitalfields: 

THE QUEEN^S CORONATION ROBE. 

“A weaver is plying his loom; 

With work-worn hands the shuttle he wields. 

But the woof and the warp through the gloom 
Is gorgeous in purple, and crimson and gold; 

With heaven’s deep blue, and with sunset red 

Like a rainbow-hued wave in a bright river rolled. 

Quivers and glistens each silken thread. 

But the weaver is poor, and his face, it is white, 

And the weaver’s attic is empty and bare; 

What means all that golden- wrought vesture so bright, 

’Mid the want and the hunger and sadness there! 

The weaver is weaving the robe of a queen. 

But he weaves in his blood and his tears in between. 

Westminster Abbey’s nave and aisles 
Teem with a courtly crowd, 

The queen, with her maids of honor, flies 
Through an ocean of heads, low bowed. 

She walks, and with bright, irridescent sheen 
Her robe glistens bright in each fold — 

The gem -laden robe of a maiden queen 
Tinctured with crimson and gold. 

Bow, but draw back, as the pageant nears, 

Draw back in horror and dread! 

The crimson is blood, and the diamonds tears 
By millions of toilers shed. 

A rebel has woven the robe of his queen 

But he wove in his blood and his tears in between.’ 


— 210 — 



^One of the fathers of this, our great nation, a man brave and 
good, expressed some ideas that ought to be remembered. ‘It is not,’ 
he said, ‘in a splendid form of government, nor in powerful, aristo- 
cratic establishments that the people will find happiness, or their lib- 
erties protection, but in a plain system, devoid of pomp, protecting 
all and granting favors to none.’ There was great and hearty 
applause. 

“ ‘Never before has woman’s nature been understood as it is in 
this free country, because in no other country have women had th(i 
chance to rise from the depth of ignorance and superstition. In mon- 
archial countries it was asked, what can a prince, a king, learn from 
a woman? The answer came: They can learnl what King S. Louis 
learned from Blanca; Louis XII from Maria of Cleves, and Enrico 
from Giovanna d’ Albret. Out of sixty-nine kings who bore the 
crown of France, only those three loved their people, and they were 
trained by their mothers. Many persons think that the high political 
ideas require wiser interpreters than women. But what can an in- 
structor do more than try his very best to form a virtuous heart in 
an honest man and a good citizen? The celebrated Sheridan was 
struck with the imperfect education that was ^imparted to English 
women, and saw the irresistable influence they exercised over those 
who educated them so badly. He conceived the idea of a national 
school. ‘Women rule us,’ he said. ‘Let us provide the means to make 
them perfect. The more knowledge they possess, the more enlight- 
ened we shall become. From the culture of woman’s spirit man de- 
rives his wisdom. It is through woman that nature writes upon 
man’s heart.’ The idea was gi-eat, and had it been carried out no one 
can tell the power for good it would have exercised over old Eng- 
land. The idea contained a moral and political evolution, the regen- 
eration of the government, true civilization in India, humanity for 
Ireland, and morality by the side of industry, for women educated 
in the right sense would stamp on man’s soul true evangelical charity 
and willingness to make any sacrifice for the welfare and uplifting 
of humanity. ‘The future of a child,’ said Napoleon, ‘ is always the 
worl<^ of the mother, either good, or bad.’ Was Louis XIII not as 
weak as his mother, always rebellious and next submissive ? Can you 
not recognize in Louis XIV the passions of a Spanish mother, a 
woman romantic and sensual, vain and bigoted? The mother of the two 
Corneilles possessed a great and elevated spirit, similar to the mother 


— 211 — 


of the two Gracchi, who gave to Rome the two great magistrates. 
Turn your gaze toward that square yonder, we are asked. In the 
midst of that great multitude you will see a young man with a high, 
intellectual forehead. Soon the guillotine will accomplish its work. 
He is writing his last thoughts. It is Barnave, one of the greatest 
orators of the constituent assembly, the rival of Mirabeau. In that 
supreme moment he is thinking of his mother, and thanks her for 
the courage that animates him. Another son of the people, the re- 
nowmed Kant, loved to say that he owed everything to the care of 
his mother. Even in his old age he would exclaim: ‘Never shall I 
forget my mother; it was she who developed the germ of goodness 
that was in my heart!’ The illustrious Cuvier received from his 
mother the first lessons that developed his genius. The great man 
attributed to his mother the happiness in his studies and the glories 
of his discoveries. Many volumes could be written to prove the 
power and influence mothers can exercise over their children, either 
for good or for evil. How important, therefore, if women are to 
shape the morals of the family and country, that they join and 
co-operate with this sublime Reconstructive Movement! Here are 
some extracts from that apostle of universal freedom, who so 
strongly inculcated the equality of the sexes in regard to all civil 
and political rights, and who was largely indebted to his mother 
for the grand impulses which led him to consecrate his life to the 
service of humanity; that unselfish apostle of truth and justice, 
Joseph Mazzini! This plea for women can certainly not be sur- 
passed in its deep sense of right and justice. He said: ‘Love and 
respect woman. Seek in her not merely a comfort, but a force, 
an inspiration, the redoubling of your intellectual and moral 
faculties. Cancel from your mind every idea of superiority over 
her. You have none whatever. Long prejudice, an inferior educa- 
tion, and a perennial inequality and injustice, have created that 
seeming intellectual inferiority which has been turned into an 
argument of continual oppression. Does not the history of every 
oppression teach us how the oppressor always seeks his justifica- 
tion and support by appealing to the facts of his own creation? 
For half a century the supporters of the reigning families of Italy 
have declared the Italians unfit for freedom, while by their laws, 
and the brute force of hireling armies, they closed every path 
through which they might have overcome all the obstacles that 


— 212 — 

prevented their advancemnt, as if tyranny could ever be the 
means of educating men for liberty! Now, we men have always 
been, and still are, guilty of a similar crime toward women; there 
is none heavier in the sight of God. In the sight of God, the 
Father, there is neither man nor woman, there is only the humn,u 
being. Like two distinct branches springing from the same trunk, 
man and woman are varieties springing from the common basis— 
humanity. There is no inequality between them, but — even as is 
often the case among men — diversity of special vocations or ten- 
dencies. Are two notes of a musical chord unequal or of a dif- 
ferent nature ? Man and woman are the two notes without which 
the human chord is impossible. They fulfill different functions, 
but they are equally sacred, equally manifestations of that thought 
of God which he has made the soul of the universe. Consider 
woman, therefore, as the partner and companion, not only of your 
joys and sorrows, but of your thoughts, your aspirations, your 
studies and your endeavors after social amelioration. Consider 
her your equal in your civil and political life. Be ye the two 
human wings that lift the soul toward the Ideal we are destined 
to attain. To the pioneer women of this country we o^V^ nearly 
all that has been attained so far, but the mistake which has been 
made is, that the question has been too much one-sided and has 
therefore been despoiled of its sweeping power. It seems they 
have forgotten the words of the poet, that— 

AVoman’s cause is man’s; they rise or sink 
Together, dwarfed or God-like, bound or free. 

And so these twain upon the skirts of time 

Sit side by side, full summed in all their powers — 

Self -reverent each, and reverencing each — 

Distinct in individualities 

But like each other as are thovse who love. 

Then comes the statelier Eden back to man; 

Then reign the world’s great bridals, chaste and calm; 

Then springs the crowning race of human kind!’ 

“ Tt is clear as daylight that if the women who have worked 
so long and so faithfully for the emancipation of their sex, had 
broadened tlie question intended for the emancipation of the whole 


— 213 — 


race, the blazing light of right and justice would have penetrated 
the recesses of the people’s souls. Then the self-evident truth, 
‘That all men are created equal,’ would not have permitted the 
creation of millionaires and paupers. The self-evident truth that all are 
endowed by the Creator with certain inalienable rights, would 
have led the people of this country to establish an industrial sys- 
tem that- would not have robbed the many in order to enrich the 
few. Life, then, would be what the Creator intended it should be, 
free from want and sorrow. We hear that there are 4,000,000 
women wage earners in this country, and statistics show the 
alarming fact that thousands of women are fighting the wolves 
from their doors! Can love, order, and all other good qualities 
find a firm footing upon such lamentable conditions? Can the 
principal factors in the home devote themselves to the betterment 
of the family, their lives being filled with anxiety and worry? If 
women become weak in mind and body, what hope is there for 
posterity? It is considered a great advantage for women that 
the industrial field is open to them, and we say, yes, under the 
right kind of system — the co-operative system — when the hours of 
labor shall be reduced, and each one — men as well as women — 
will fill the places for which they are naturally fitted, and their 
aim will not be to out-do one another for mercenary purposes, lut 
to be mutually helpful, the advantage then will certainly be great. 
But every true reformer knows that women entering the industrial 
field* now and competing with men, using all manner of schemes, 
fills with apprehension every lover of human progress. If Divine 
Love guides our life, every particle of selfishness will be stam])ed 
out of our hearts, and the cries and moans pressed out from the 
unfortunate victims of usury and monopoly, will be turned into 
joyful praises to the ever-present Good! Beggary, filth and dis- 
eases will become only shadowy reminiscences of a dark past. In 
America, our beloved land, the people can see their way cleaver 
than in any other country, because it is, or it ‘must’ be, governed 
by the consent of the people ,and not by brute force;- a nation free 
from the crushing weight of standing armies and navies. But Mho 
is there that cannot see the wrong tendencies of the tijn<^« ? Oh, 
let us remember what our martyred president, Abraham Lincoln, 
said: ‘What constitutes the buhvark of our liberty and inde- 
pendence? It is not our frouming battlements or bristling sea 


— 214 — 

coasts, our army or our navy. Our reliance is in the love of lib- 
erty which God has planted in us. Our defence is in the spirit 
which prizes liberty as the heritage of all men in all lands every- 
where. Destroy this spirit and you have planted the seed of des- 
potism at your own doors. Familiarize yourself with the chains 
of bondage, and you prepare your own limbs to wear them. Accus- 
tomed to trample on the rights of others, you have lost the 
strength of your own independence and become a fit subject of 
the first cunning tyrant who rises among you. They who deny 
freedom to others deserve it not for themselves, and under a just 
God cannot long retain it.’ Thanks to the enlightenment which 
appears through the discovery of spiritual and mental science — for 
it certainly is the best remedy for the betterment of the human 
disposition and character — women are getting armed with that 
power of knowledge and are ready to work and co-operate with 
the progress-loving men in order to reconstruct the social struc- 
ture. I am very sorry to say that a great sensation has been 
stirred up, resulting from the meeting of a state Congregational 
Association, comprising the orthodox clergy, representatives and 
senators of the general assembly, college scientists and scores of 
leading business men. They adopted the most astonishing appeal 
to the national and state governments ever made by an American 
Christian body. Their resolution included a demand that The whip- 
ping post be revived for petty crimes, and that imprisonment for 
life be the judgment for criminals who have been convicted of more 
than three offenses ! ’ Those men are considered leading lights, 
but where would their cruel and inhuman suggestions lead this 
country? Those blind supporters of the present system — which, if 
not changed, will be the great promoter of crimes — tell me, my 
friends, if the measures suggested by them will not serve to in- 
tensify the existing evils?’ There were great signs of approbation 
from the assembly. Tt does not seem possible that, A\iien the 
causes which produce the evil effects can so plainly be discerned, 
those men could willfully ignore them, and are ready to pull the 
world back to the barbarous and demoralizing times! A modern 
writer describing the wickedness of women, advocates bodily pun- 
ishment, something like . the whipping-post I have mentioned. 
It is surprising to think that authors should treat important sub- 
jects so superficially. Tie referred mainly to women who married 


— 215 — 


for money or social position, and whose lives became, conse- 
quently, a disgrace to the entire sex. The author does not seem 
to know that, as a rule, the unfortunate girls in such cases ought 
to bear the least blame, for their young and inexperienced minds 
are dazzled by the fascinating pictures held before them by their 
ambitious parents, and often when mated to individuals old enough 
to be their fathers, and not having the least affinity of heart and 
soul, they seek to fill the emptiness of their lives with vices and 
hypocrisy? By the radical change of the present system de- 
manded by the Brotherhood of Beconstruction, will the great truths 
of another writer be verified, that: ‘Good, God-loving women — 
women who pray, women who hope, women who inspire men to do 
the best that is in them — they are the glory and safety of nations.’ 
But let us add that women, no more than men, can bring that high 
transformation as long as they live under a system that compels 
their - minds to be filled from morning till night with material, 
worldly and selfish thoughts. Oh! Why are the people so slow; 
why can they not understand that nothing but the Reconstructive 
Movement can compel the old things to pass away, and that then 
all things will become neAV, and how, through the rampant growth 
and vigor, new sets of emotions, and pure and holy motives will 
fill the world! In this noble Reconstructive work its adherents 
are strengthened by the clear fact that their work bears constant 
fruit, and can be brought forth as living testimonials. Let us re- 
joice, for again we have three converts who arose from the black 
magic ideas of deifying the world’s property, and now deify the power 
of popular rights. They have withdrawn from the parasitical 
circles, and have caused a complete change, not only in their own 
line of life as a wealthy mother and two daughters, but it has 
affected for the better the business relations between the employer 
and employes. It is a repetition of other similar good cases, and 
we are all invited to visit the great factories to see the wonderful 
changes since the women have turned their hearts from frivolities 
to elevating and noble principles, whch is a great promise of the 
rapid growth of our Reconstructive Movement. When the women 
of that class shall refuse to make extravagant use of the money 
wrung from men, women and children, reduced to a condition of 
slavery through the vile passion of greed, a radical change must 
necessarily follow, and very few men will care to accumulate piles 


— 216 — 


of money, and then will they realize that all men are brothers, 
and equal before the ever-present Creator, who is no respector of 
persons, and, their minds being relieved from the selfish burdens 
and strengthened by the exemplary lives of their wives and 
daughters, the unity and solidarity of the human race will impress 
their souls, and willingly and enthusastically will they become 
co-workers in establishing the new and perfect system. We will 
now< with grateful hearts, take a look at the donations of precious 
jewels by these three converted ladies. I suppose we all know the 
use that this Brotherhood is to make of alb these gifts. It has decided 
to use these precious gifts, and the other products of human skil', 
to feed the taste for beauty in the human soul. We all know by ex- 
perience that the sight of things rare and beautiful kindles the 
heart with higher aspirations. The brilliant and marvelous pro- 
ducts of nature appeal to the innermost artistic sense, especially 
when contemplated free from the shadows of selfishness. The 
parties in whose keeping are the articles of jewelry will please 
step forward.’ A lady and a gentleman came forward, preceded 
by two young men, who carried a table, which they placed in front 
of the platform. The jewelry was displayed. It consisted of gold 
monogram lockets with initials, large pins ornamented with pearls 
and diamonds; pearl sleeve links; stick-pins ornamented with 
diamonds; brooches shaped like baskets of flowers, with dia- 
monds and emeralds; rings with sapphires; heavy lorgnette chains 
with pearls and emeralds; diamond earrings; elegant bracelets, 
and a large number of other fine articles. It was a brilliant sight. 
In orderly file the members stepped forward and many expressions 
of admiration arose from the people. When my turn came I de- 
scended from the platform and followed the others. As you prob- 
ably remember, dear sister, I have always been susceptible to the 
peculiar impressions of what is called the magnetic radiance of 
precious stones. I felt a delightful sensation as I stood in front 
of the table, and was much moved at the thought of the great 
good that exhibition of so much natural beauty would exert upon 
the minds of millions of people, who in their whole lives would, 
under the present system, not have a chance to feast their eyes 
upon such marvels of nature’s production. A resolution of n[)- 
preciation to the donors was endorsed by the audience, and that 
concluded the meeting. 


—217— 


“Before 1 left I was told by the president that the Brotherhood 
was in possession of a very large collection of very valuable 
jewelry, turned over by women, who, in the same manner as the 
three mentioned that evening, had become adherents and were 
jfmong the most enthusiastic supporters of the cause. I have accepted 
the invitation by the president to visit the factories and become 
acquainted with the parties. This is a long letter, and the next 
will, perhaps, be longer, but it may be even more interesting. The 
president has sent a note to the three ladies, notifying them of the 
presence of the head member of the Brotherhood of Beconstruc- 
tion, and I am informed that she has received assurances of a 
warm welcome, and we are expected there at noon. So, good bye. 
In a day or two you may receive another letter. Adieu.” 




— 218 — 


CHAPTER XV. 

As it was late the two young friends retired. The next day 
Olga met her friend and told her: 

“Be sure and come to my room tomorrow evening, for I know 
we shall have another letter.’’ 

“So do I,” said Ernestine, and at the appointed time she 
appeared. 

“You see,” said Olga. 

“How kind is your brother,” replied her friend. 

And Olga began: “Dear Sister: We arrived punctually and 
were received with the greatest cordiality. The family lives in 
a beautiful location. The mansion is an imposing structure, and 
the interior is furnished with all the elegance and attractiveness 
that money can provide. A sumptuous dinner had been prepared. 
The family consists of father, mother, two daughters and one 
son, the latter about nine years old. During th.c meal the lady 
led the conversation, and the husband listened with a ])leasant 
expression on his countenance. The main topic was the doings of 
the Brotherhood, its progress and outlook for the future. After 
listening attentively, the husband took the word and said: ‘The 
good that has already come to me through the influence of the 
Reconstructive Movement must be greatly appreciated by every 
one who has, like myself, been surrounded for years by conditions 
which kept the mind in a constant turmoil. Not only the great 
activity and stir in business, but the home had become a hotbed 
for the cultivation, growth and blossoming of everything that 
brings discord, discontent and worry. The factors in the home, 
who are now the promoters of peace and happiness, were, before 
their hearts were gained over by your great principles, more like 
corroding poison — you will pardon my frankness,’ he said, turning 
to his wife and daughters. ‘They were never satisfled; they were 
tormented by the fear of being out-shined by others; their jealousy 
was in constant activity, and the more those qualities were grat - 
ified, the more aggressive their attitu le and the more increased 


— 210 — 


the complaints and dissatisfaction, and it readied such a point 
that home, instead of being a place of rest, had become to me a 
place of dread. I was ready to sacrifice any amount of money, 
in fact, everything, for the take of peace, for which my sou! 
craved, but all my efforts were in vain. They always succeeded 
in flattering my pride and ambition to see them get ahead, but 
after the excitement subsided the reaction was bitter. Excuse me, 
dear ones, I ought not to recall the past, but thank Provi- 
dence ’ Tt is all right,’ said the wife, Sve, or rather I, deserve 

to be reproached. I had allowed myself to be carried along by 
the madness of the world’s frivolities, which, the more they are 
indulged in, the more they enslave us. Sometimes I look back at the 
many years spent so uselessly, but how grateful I am that our 
daughters have been rescued before their hearts became hardened 
in the ways upheld by the wrongly called ‘high classes.’ By com- 
ing in close contact Avith the masses that we thought it was our 
privilege to treat and look down upon with contempt, we became 
more and more convinced of the Avrong position A\^e had assumed. 
I am sorry that the plans for the betterment of the large number 
of employes are not completed, but we are providing for them 
eA^ery comfort and every possible means to make life AA^hat it 
ought to be. When AA^e get through Avith our meal AA^e will drive 
to the place and you Avill see for yourself.’ 

“‘Thank you, Madame,’ I said; ‘my heart is filled Avith un- 
speakable joy. I see that our hopes Avill be realized. The Avhole 
Avorld looks to America, the greatest republic in the Avorld, and 
especiallly to the American Avomen. Your form of goA^ernment, 
although, of course, not perfect, has, by the efforts of the Avomcn, 
opened the Avay for them to come to the front and demand their 
rights as human beings. Their struggle has, no doubt, been very 
hard, but the saving principles of liberty they have inherited for 
many generations haA^e made them fit champions to overcome the 
many obstacles thrown in their AA^ay. Their intellectual develop- 
ment, if rightly applied, Avill in a short time command for them 
respect in the political, religious and industrial Avorld. The most 
important crusade needed at present is to hold these important 
facts before them in such strong light that they Avill be aroused 
to the needed degree of energy and enthusiasm.’ When I paused 
the oldest daughter, Avith her sparkling, intelligent eyes, looked 


— 220 — 


to her father and asked permission to express her thoiiglits. ‘The 
women of America/ she began, ‘feel greatly honored for the con- 
fidence the less favored women of the world place upon their ability 
to help them, but very few can probably realize the deadening 
influence of European aristocracy, their manners and customs, 
especially upon our wealthy classes. The women of that class, 
instead of helping the conventional slaves of Europe to break their 
chains, fall right in with them and become so imbued witE their 
wrong ways and doings, that they despise and feel ashamed of 
their great, free country! This class of women ought to realize 
more than others their duty to help the advancement of the human 
family, but unfortunately, thus far it is the opposite. It is a 
wonder to me how our dear mother could withstand the condem- 
natory protests of the worshippers of the exclusive circles, and the 
poisonous arrows that were shot at her fioin all sides, for the sim- 
ple reason that she decided to consecrate her life to a standard in 
keeping with the sublime teachings of true Christianity, contained 
in the principles of the Reconstructive Movement.’ ‘My dear chihl.’ 
said the mother, ‘the whole credit is not due to my weak efl'oits. 
Your own and your sister’s willing and cheerful assistance have 
steadied my purposes.’ ‘My dear mother and sister,’ said the 
youngest daughter, ‘I do firmly believe that the whole credit is 
due to Divine Providence. Had it not been that we were led by 
It to investigate those principles, we could not have remained 
true to the solemn obligation we have taken upon ourselves.’ 
‘Amen! my child,’ said the father, with hearty approval. ‘Never, 
I feel positive/ she continued, ‘never could we have undergone and 
maintained that remarkable change had it not been for that living 
force which became the guiding light in our new career. We oiice 
were faithful contributors to and upholders of fashionable churches, 
but what was the main incentive for supporting those magnificent 
structures? It was the most favorable occasion to feed our vanity. 
Our hearts would run over Avith the deceptive pleasure of being 
the ones unsurpassed in elegance of apparel and latest fashion- 
able dictates. The appearance of a plainly dressed Avorshipper in 
the midst of so much Avorldly finery Avas an eye -sore, and the 
offender Avould soon be made to feel out of place. Did the bland 
and unctious exhortations of our high- salaried preachers reach our 
perverted souls, and had they the power to recall them from eon- 


— 221 — 


tinning on the wrong path? How could they, wlien their own souls 
were steeped as deep as their congregation in the errors of worldly 
approbation?’ ‘Here you have it in a nutshell,’ added the father. 
‘If the churches had fulfilled the duties they assumed, and been 
true examples, would the people have alloAved their ambition to 
strangle human sympathy and would they have concentrated their 
whole efforts to accumulate worldly possessions? Never until our 
inner sight was opened by the correct interpretation and the dis- 
covery of the higher laws Avhich govern our being, could Ave haA^e 
stepped out of the Avrong into the right path, and to it aa^c oavc 
the strength that led us into the ranks of the Reconstructive Move- 
ment, perceiving tlie dangerous tendencies toAvard Avhich our coun- 
try is leaning. The history of Europe ought to be knoAvn by the 
American people, and ought to be a lesson of Avarning. Instead of 
craving for empty titles and for the approbation and flattery of 
monarchial nations, aa^c ought to stand firm, and Avith grateful 
liearts, upon the foundation erected by those Avho Avere ready to 
meet death rather than sacrifice liberty! It cannot be denied that 
corruption descends from the classes called ‘above;’ it descends, 
it cannot ascend, as Ave AA^ere told. This is an axiom that no one 
can reasonably contradict, and in order to make clear the process 
of the demoralization of the inferior classes, Ave must take the 
starting point from the so-called ‘superior ones,’ and this proves 
that as long as the human family is divided the Avorld cannot im- 
proA^e. And the key to this mystery has been presented to me in 
the conversion of my wife and daughters from a life narroAved 
doAAUi to Avhat a Avriter recently said: ‘Bounded on the north by 
her servants, on the east by her children, on the south by her ail- 
ments and on the west by her clothes.’ The change concerning my 
vieAVS and feelings in regard to my felloAV beings astonishes me 
many times. There Avas a time Avhen I cared no more, or, to tell 
the truth, cared less for those dependent on me for their IHing, 
than I did for the machines, but noAV their contentment and peace 
redoubles mine, and I discover in them many good qualities Avhich 
the former cold indifference prevented me from perceiving, and I 
am not ashamed to OAvn it before the Avorkl that for this healthful 
change I am indebted to my Avife and daughters. Woman rules 
the home, and from that center floAVs either the good that uplifts, 
or the evil that pulls doAvn the human race.’ ‘Let us all thank 


— 222 — 


Providence, for without that Divine help women nor men can rise 
to the higher realm of existence,’ said his wife. 

‘‘By this time it was announced that everything was ready 
for the drive toward the location of the factories, and in a short 
time we were all ready for the start. We were' enjoying the pleas- 
ant drive when the little boy cried: ‘Here we are!’ Turning a 
corner, I saw a large place covered with buildings. 

“ ‘The main building,’ began the gentleman, to explain, ‘is a 
glass factory, and there are some other factories. We will visit 
them all, as I know 3^011 are interested in everything that concerns 
the working classes.’ ‘Nothing interests me more,’ I replied, ‘than 
to see with my own eyes the doings of the industrial classes. It 
is to their energy and labor the world owes all its comforts.’ At 
that moment we arrived at the' main entrance, and soon found 
ourselves in the interior of the great building. It is entirely differ- 
ent from those I have seen in Europe, for every modern improve- 
ment has been adopted here. It was not the time when the glass 
blowers were busy, but all the other workers were attending to 
their diverse duties. It was an interesting sight. Everjmne looked 
ful of vigor, and besides the respectful demeanor, one could feel 
the good will and cheerfulness that animated them all in eveiy 
department we visited. Next I was taken to the further end of the 
place, to a building which was surrounded by a most beautifully 
cultivated ground. It was a fine structure. The entrance, orna 
mented with colonnades, led to a broad stone stairway, and as we 
reached the top the wide doors were thrown open and a beautiful 
hall, decorated most artistically, stood invitingly before us. We 
walked in, and from there we went to a very nice reading room, 
comfortably furnished and supplied with the best reform litera- 
ture. Before entering another room the lady asked me to watch 
the sensation I would feel. I promised her I would, and we began 
to move in slowly. It was a good-sized room with a gothic, vaulted 
ceiling, handsomely painted. The windows were also of gothic 
style. The pictures and the ensemble impressed one with a sort 
of devotional feeling while on the threshold, but in moving into the 
interior a sense of harmony and an undefinable sweet vibration 
surrounded one’s whole being. They seemed so pure and celestial 
that I could not help closing my eyes and exclaiming, ‘Oh, how 
delightful!’ The rest of the company were alTected in the same 


manner. ‘How many persons have come for mental and physical 
relief to this sacred spot!’ said the lady. ‘This room is dedicated 
to the most exalted mind and -spiritual culture, and not a single 
person who enters here leaves without being morally and physic- 
ally benefited. It is a great moral help to all the workers and 
their families to meet here and acquaint themselves with the high 
laws that govern our beings, and, to their great credit, they gladly 
avail themselves of these uplifting opportunities.’ Next we went 
to another room, which Avas used as a school, Avhere painting, 
modeling and music were taught. The lady explained that her 
daughters — having studied the modern sciences, among Avhich were 
physiognomy and phrenology — had succeeded in discovering among 
the children of the working class many talents, and they had un- 
dertaken to give them free instruction and develop the many 
natural gifts that Avould otherwise have been lost. ‘My dear 
sister, I could not resist the impulse to turn to the two daughters 
and say to them: ‘God bless your efforts! For upon the fulfilment 
of these principles rests the success of the attainment and per- 
manency of the Reconstructive Movement.’ ‘Thank you, sir,’ said 
the older daughter, ‘and we wish everybody could realize — espec- 
ially the classes that waste so much precious time in worldly friv- 
olities — the real satisfaction and true pleasure one derives by help- 
ing one’s fellow beings to realize of what life really consists in 
developing and harmonizing every attribute of intellect, spirit and 
body.’ ‘And the transformation,’ said the younger one, ‘is sur- 
prising. Mama, we did not stop to show to the gentleman the 
dressing rooms.’ ‘Yes, we must not overlook that important part,’ 
replied the mother. ‘We have provided pleasant rooms for the 
workingmen, where they can clean themselves, change their Avork- 
ing clothes and appear decent and respectable after their day’s 
Avork is done. No one, unless they could Avitness it, can form an 
idea of the good influence it exerts upon their minds, and conse- 
quently upon their habits.’ ‘Yes, my dear sir,’ said the father, 
Avho had been silently assenting to all that Avas said, ‘Ave are doing 
our best to prepare the people to march in line Avith the principles 
upheld by your great movement, and our most feiwent prayer is 
that all other employers may be enlightened to do their share in 
helping to bring the needed changes to improve and make perfect 
tlie social organism.’ ‘Your noble example,’ I said, ‘cannot fail to 


bring the greatest results, for right and justice are two powerful ^ 
forces which will dispel the dark atmosphere created by selfishness ^ 
and greed in the human mind/ While speaking I noticed a young ; 
girl approach the lady, and after a polite bow she told her in a 
half whisper, ‘Pauline is ready/ ‘Very well,’ answered the lady, 
‘we will be there directly/ Then turning to me she said: ‘Before 
we leave this place we will go back to the hall, where one of our 
young elocutionists will recite a poem. I am sorry we have inter- 
rupted you. Please continue.’ ‘I am through, Madame,’ I said, 
‘and shall be very glad to hear the recital of the poem.’ ‘Then we 
will start,’ said the gentleman. When we reached the hall we 
took our seats and listened to a piano solo by the young girl who 
had told the lady that Pauline was ready. Her play was well exe- 
cuted and she gracefully accepted our appreciation. The curtain 
was then raised and a little seven-year-old girl appeared, dressed 
in white, with long, golden hair and beautiful, rosy complexion. 
Every gesture she made Avas so graceful that she looked like a 
little fairy. She began: 

I was born as free as the silvery light 
That laughs in a southern fountain; 

Free as the sea-fed bird that nests 
On a Scandinavian mountain; 

Free as the wind that mocks at the sway 
And pinioning clasp of another — 

Yet in the slave they scourged today 
I saAV and kneAV my brother. 

Vested in purple, I sat apart, 

But the cord that smote him bruised mo; 

I closed my ears, but the sob that broke 
From his savage breast accused me. 

No phrase of reasoning judgment just. 

The plaint of my soul could smotlier — 

A creature vile, abased to the dust, 

I knew him still — my brother. 

And the autumn day that had smiled so fair 
Seemed suddenly overclouded; 


— 225 — 


A gloom more dreadful than nature owns 
My human mind enshrouded. 

I thought of the power benign that made 
And bound men one to another^ 

And I felt, in my brother’s fear, afraid, 

And ashamed in the shame of my brotlier. 

‘*We all heartily applauded. The dear little child had recited 
the poem very well. Maybe it is not new to you, Olga, or to your 
friend. The sweet, silvery tones were still ringing in my ears when 
a young boy stepped forward on the platform. He was a finely built 
youngster with black, curly hair and black, expressive eyes. He 
looked around, made a graceful bow, and began to sing in a sweet, 
sonorous voice, accompanied with music, the following song taken 
from a reform paper, entitled 

THE SONG OF THE WORKERS. 

I sing the song of the workers, the men of the brawny arm, 

Who give us the daily bread and keep us from hunger’s harm; 

Who labor afar in the forest, who leaven the fields with toil, 

Who take no heed of the sunshine, and mind not sweat or toil. 

I sing the song of the workers, who harvest the golden grain. 

And bind it and thresh it and sift it„ nor care for the sting or 
stain; 

Who load it in creaking wagons, and stoutly their oxen drive. 

And bid them good bye as they go, like the bees flying home 
to the hive. 

I sing the song of the workers, the men who struggle and 
strain ; 

Who give us their muscle and nerve, as they guard the loaded 
train ; 

Who give us their sinew and brain, as they watch the 
prisoned steam. 

And run the risk of their lives, as they pass the perilous 
stream. 


I sing the song of the workers, the men who labor and thrive; 


— 226 — 


Who handle for us the honey that conies to the human hive; 

The patient and tireless workers, with muscles as tough as 
steel, 

Who carry the heaviest burdens, and lift and trundle and 
wheel. 

I sing the song of the workers, demanding for every one 

His just and rightful due fon all the work he has done — 

For all the work of the workers, no matter whom nor where. 

To each for the grand result, his honest, proportionate share. 

“After the singer had finished and received an enthusiastic 
applause, the lady said: ‘Dear sir, I must confess that when 
‘vested in purple and sitting apart,’ my heart was cold and indif- 
ferent to the struggles and the sad life of the toilers, but, as it is 
expressed in the first poem, ‘the cord that smote them bruised me.’ 
The peace and happiness we exjferienc now was then unknown to 
us. It is too bad that now-a-days many of the wealthy women 
are satisfied to pose as sweet angels of charity. All kinds of char- 
itable institutions are, and have always been, the curse that has 
intensified, instead of removing, the cause of the sorrows and 
misery of the toilers. Brotherly love and self-abnegation stimu- 
late the limitless capacities of the human spirit; they are the 
necessary food for the growth of the mind! When we consider 
the results of these, our small endeavors, and see the transfor- 
mations already obtained, who can estimate the marvelous changes 
that the future holds, when the hearts of every one of those who 
pose as the masters and leaders of society shall be touched by the 
spark of Divine Love and Justice? Before my thoughts were 
turned into the right direction I had concluded that life contained 
only one import ant point, and that was the attainment of the 
highest worldly exultation for ‘me and mine;’ that money and 
worldly honors were the sublimest idols, before which my benighted 
soul had to bow, but now, thank God! His works, from a Blade of 
grass to His highest creation — humanity — stimulate my desire to 
do all the good I can. When I see and meditate upon the combina- 
tion of nature’s products arranged by human skill into objects of 
beauty and utility; when I go through the workshops and observe 
the dexterity with which every branch of work is carried on, and 


— 227 — 


the Avork performed by the discoveries of human genius in ma- 
chinery, my heart beats with great joy, my resolutions become 
stronger and my views clearer that a complete change is needed in 
order to giA^e to mankind a chance to develop their limitless capa- 
bilities and then Ave shall see the Avorkshops turned into indus- 
trial temples.’ My dear sister, I must OAvn that I Avas deeply 
touched. What I had seen and heard was fully in accord Avith my 
ideas, and by these good people they were already put into opera- 
tion. I almost felt as if transported into the so much longed for 
‘NeAV Era.’ Here was a Avoman endoAved Avith strong reasoning 
poAvers and a tender heart, the former to convince, the latter to 
touch the inner chords of the soul! I was ready to make some 
remarks Avhen I noticed her husband’s happy look, his eyes ex- 
pressing plainly his inner feelings. He said: ‘I shall never tire 
of repeating my first assertion, that in the keeping of Avomen is 
the salvation or ruin of the AA^orld. Let AVomen be united to their 
right mates, instead of sacrificing their lives to obtain Avealth or 
social position; give them the best opportunities for the* develop- 
ment of soul, mind and body, so they can use their poAverful in- 
fluence for good, and then the prophesy that through AVomen the 
Avorld shall be redeemed, will be fulfilled. Contrasting our pres- 
ent conditions Avith those of the past, Avhich Avere filled Avith — I 
Avill not repeat those destroying forces — Ave can say that we are 
beginning to enjoy the ever-present kingdom of heaven, manifested 
in Love, Peace and Harmony!’ ‘Papa dear,’ said the youngest* 
daughter, ‘I think this gentleman Avould be delighted to get ac- 
quainted Avith our friend, the artist. Shall I go and announce his 
presence.’ ‘Yes, go, my dear child, so that he will be prepared to le- 
ceiA^e us. The gentleman my daughter refers to,’ said the father, 
‘is one of the most famous artists of Italy. He has been exiled 
many times on account of his liberal ideas. He is finishing two 
remarkable paintings.’ The young girl returned and said that the 
artist would be very glad to meet the gentleman. ‘Well, then, let 
us go to his studio,’ said, the father, and when Ave reached the door 
he rapped softly and a deep-sounding voice Avas heard saying, 
‘Please come in.’ As the door opened I saw an elderly gentleman 
and, as the introduction took place, and he heard of my position 
in the Reconstructive Movement, he made a sign of pleasant sur- 
prise, and extending his hand, said: ‘I have heard considerable of 


— 228 — 


the important and able work you have accomplisslied, and 1 con- 
sider this a great favor, to meet you personally.’ The walls of 
his studio were covered with very artistic paintings. After ask- 
ing us to be seated, and having noticed that my attention waS’ 
drawn toward his work, he said: 'How often do we hear that as» 
the human mind broadens our ideals change — that is, our percep- 
tions broaden, pointing toward the great truths — but think of the 
struggle in order to grasp them when, under the present system, 
the human mind is filled with low, narrow and bad ideals. I am 
often surprised when I notice that the so-called higher, or spir- 
itual, reformers plainly describe the wrong conditions but never 
mention the great necessity for changing the system Avhich pre- 
vents the broadening of the human mind, and obtaining and dem- 
onstrating the higher ideals. Theo. F. Seward says: ‘The Ameri- 
can people have two standards or ideals. On the one side is vigor, 
energy, activity, dominion, conquering circumstances by the strong 
right arm — the strenuous life — which is an appeal for the strongest 
possible ekercise of the human will. Its standard or ideal of suc- 
cess is ‘material’ prosperity. The ideal on the other side is exactly 
the opposite of this. Please listen carefully to this: It sees in 
the history of mankind a perpetual failure of the human will to 
give happiness, comfort, peace, or even permanent prosperity. It 
sees that not only the teachings of the man of Galilee, but the 
analogies of science, show that the secret of happiness lies in sur- 
rendering the finite human will to the Supreme, Eternal Will, and 
that true success is not to be gained by a strenuous materialistic 
life, but by a spiritual life.’ I am — oh, how often I am — impatient 
with the ‘spiritual’ reformers. Why do they not take interest in, 
why do they not adopt the great principles of the Reconstructive 
Movement? Why do they spread the empty words of broadening 
the human mind, when the minds of countless millions are stunted 
and starved, when countless millions are submerged and oppressed? 
I cannot express to you how grateful I am when I hear the news 
of how this great movement is using the power that can be strongly 
obtained by art, music, poetry and literature, to arouse and ins})ire 
human souls to put their determined spirits against the enormity 
of existing evils, which at present they but vaguely comprehend! 
From every country in the old continent I receive orders from the 
Reconstructive Brotherhood to represent the existing condition^ 


— 229 — 


upon canvas, to sIioav as plainly as possible the, dreadful contrasts, 
so as to heal the minds of the masses from the superstitious rev- 
erence and awe toward the pretentious demi-gods who, through 
their close exclusiveless, pretense and sham, have reduced their 
subjects to an abominable condition. You aauII please come into the 
next room, where I am doing some of the work.’ Following him 
we entered a large room, in the middle of which, with the skylight 
shining upon it, AA^as a large canA’^as resting upon tAVo easels. As 
he stood before it he began to explain: ‘This is to represent a 
gala day at Rome. In the background you see the hills. The 
smoke from the cannons, Avhich have given forth a resounding 
salvo, can be seen in the distance. This is the royal carriage, and 
the figureheads are so delicate on account of their idle life that 
the interchange of couiTesies Avith their humble subjects is too fa- 
tiguing, therefore a seat AAuth springs is provided to soften the 
‘great physical effort.’ The footmen, Avith poAvdered heads and 
scarlet liveries, and the flunkies in front of the horses. The regi- 
ments marching through the square and saluting the figureheads 
as they pass by the carriage. Here is the blind croAvd Avhich ap- 
pears frantic, and here is the band heralding the appearance of the 
running bersaglieri, Avho fly forAvard as one man, Avith their largo 
hats and Avaving plumes. The stupid croAAxl,’ said the artist, con- 
temptuously, ‘ought to knoAV that the flying pace is killing and 
that in a fcAV years these strong men’s liA^es Avdll be AA^orn out. The 
pomp and splendor is designed by the figureheads to fascinate the 
unthinking subjects, to AAdiom it never occurs to put to themseh^es 
the question, ‘Avhat is the object of these useless spectacles?’ Some 
of these thoughts, Ave hope, may penetrate their dull minds Avhen 
a contrast appears before them. It may be more difficult to pre- 
sent it on convas, but I shall use the most modern iuA^entions of 
hioving figures, combined Avith the productions of the brush, .elc. 
The worldly appearances of useless pomp are intended to renev: 
and cement the servile submissiveness of the AA^hole nation to a 
demi-god, Avho assumes the poAver to control, and Avho separates 
and divides the people into classes, the ‘upper’ ones making their 
lives a prolonged orgy, gilding their vices, being surrounded Avutb 
corrupt gaieties; Avhile the millions are depriA^ed of even the neces- 
saries of a simple and plain life. The next paintings Avill illus- 
ti’ate that all true poAAxr resides in the people, to Avhom is given 


— 230 — 


when rightly guided and developed, the wisdom to interpret the 
supreme idea of liberty! We must make the people understand 
that whatever the forms of privilege, be they wealth or titles, they 
are assumed to create the external apex of social distinction and 
thereby destroy human equality. Let me recall the undying words 
of our beloved apostle of liberty, Joseph Mazzini, that ‘When sov- 
ereignty and privileges are admitted as existing, not in the whole 
organism, but only in some self -pretending powers, then the path 
for usurpation is laid open. The unnatural monarchial element, 
being incapable of sustaining itself alone by the side of the people, 
creates the intermediate element called aristocracy, which is the 
next source of inequality and corruption. History, and the nature 
of things, teach us that elective monarchy tends to generate anar- 
chy, and hereditary monarchy generates despotism. The people 
must be made to fully understand that monarchies, from the very 
nature of things, are antagonistic to their welfare, progress and 
happiness.’ Leading us to another large canvas the artist said: 
‘This is one which, if I succeed in producing what I saw with my 
own eyes, will, I hope, touch the hearts of many who are guilty 
of reducing the lives of their fellow beings to a slow torture, and 
agony. You probably have read what a journalist said who had 
also seen the cruel dealings, and who could not restrain his tears 
at the sight of the awful appearance of the tortured miners. He 
and one of his friends had descended into an opening that was so 
narrow and deep that they had to renounce the desire to go any 
further. It seemed impossible that from the depths of that hole 
the poor wretches could carry on their shoulders the big loads of 
minerals. After much searching they found a somewhat wider 
opening. They descended slowly; the dismal place was oppressive. 
They had not gone far when they perceived little lamps, carried by 
human forms, bent nearly double under the heavy loads. The sound 
of anguished wailing reached their ears. It emanated from the 
helpless victims. Cadenced groans from tender creatures, panting 
and exhausted, no longer able to ascend — ^but on they had to go. 
The sound of the whip was kept around their ears, and the burning 
lamps were mercilessly put to their emaciated limbs! 
The bruised skin of the back and shoulders could be seen. Some 
were found crouching on the steps silently weeping, the tears 
rolling down their pale, sunken cheeks. Such barbarity cries for 


— 231 — 


retribution! Those poor slaves were not only deprived of every- 
thing a human being needs, but they became victims of horrible 
diseases! This inhuman state of affairs existed under the- mon- 
archial regime of one of the latin nations — Italy. Under the 
English monarchy the same condition was discovered. Wages had 
been so reduced that women and children were compelled to toil in 
the mines. Women were literally unsexed. They were forced to 
crawl on their fours and haul carts by means of straps passed be- 
tween their legs, and belted around them. If some children were 
born in those mines they never saw the light of the sky — being 
born, reared and buried in those subterranean hells! But what is 
more heartrending, it seems to me, is that greed, vulgar greed, rules 
this free land — a land which every lover of human rights has ex- 
alted with the greatest tenderness, and if we cannot redeem this 
great country from that crushing monster, where shall we look for 
salvation? If you permit me, I wiii read this clipping, which has 
reached me lately, and from which I expect to draw many points 
to produce upon the pictures: ‘Talk about African slavery! The 
slaves in the south were a happy and free race compared] with tens 
of thousands of wretched toilers! A worse form of slavery is 
kept up right now in the great coal fields. Strike? Good God! 
Yes, strike! Their condition recalls the condition of the miners in 
the north of England some years ago. It is the world-old story of 
one set of men oppressing another set. It is the same trait in per- 
verted human nature that made French nobles oppress the French 
peasants. It is the same trait that made English landlords grind 
the last potato out of Irish tenants and then eject them when the 
potatoes were all gone. It is the insatiable human greed for every- 
thing in sight.’ I have a pile of extracts from excellent reform 
papers which inspire my mind to create, and what I consider will 
help to awaken the needed enthusiasm. Here is one from the 
founder of the first woman’s club in America, the venerable lady, 
Mrs. Caroline M. Severance, who said: ‘Let me add, dear friends, 
to my words of welcome, the assurance of my undiminished but 
growing faith in woman’s capacity and efforts towards social bet- 
terment in all lines. Remember the striking sentence from the 
great orator, seer and patriot, Wendel Phillips, ‘You may build an 
institution of the strongest granite, and rear it to the sky, and 
the pulse- beat of a young girl may level it to the ground.’ We 


— 232 — 


read the proof of this in many pages of history. Let us stand 
solidly for peace and against the injustices of our day. It is our 
holy mission, as women, as wives and mothers and defenders of 
the homes!’ When I read or hear what the progressive 'women of 
the twentieth century are doing I become thoroughly convinced that 
the raging conflicts of the capitalists against the toilers must 
cease, and no longer will they tear apart the family’s holy bonds, 
and they will be the great co-operators helping to push the modern 
wheel of progress, which will spread with marvelous rapidity the 
saving principles of Reconstruction — and here we have the living 
example of a mother and two daughters.’ ‘You are right, indeed 
you are,’ said the husband. ‘With their help the cruel conflicts 
which cause the ever increasing poverty, crime and disease must 
cease! An then will ‘Lafayette’s Prayer for America’ be verified 
where he said: ‘May this immense temple of freedom stand as a 
lesson to oppressors, and an example to the oppressed, and a 
sanctuary for the rights of mankind.’ ‘My dear mother, said the 
oldest daughter, ‘you know how often we speak of the dynamic 
power of thoughts and words. I must own that I feel the effects. 

I feel as if I must enter into the. open field of reform . ‘By 

the w^ay, my dear,’ said the mother, ‘read the essay you have writ- 
ten and this gentleman may suggest some ideas.’ ‘Would the gen- 
tleman be willing to listen to it?’ she asked. ‘Most assuredly,’ I 
answered. She retired and soon returned, holding in her right hand 
the manuscript. ‘I know this is nothing new to you,’ she said, mod- 
estly, and began to read: 

“ ‘When the fathers of this country established the constitu- 
tion, they solemnly stated that it was to establish justice, insure 
domestic tranquility, promote the general welfare and secure the 
blessings of liberty to themselves and their posterity. 
These expressions denoted their moral advancement. This showed 
that they understood how to govern themselves, and that they 
were ready to throw down every yoke and institute a free govern- 
ment. Our forefathers fought and made great sacrifices to free 
themselves from monarchial oppression, which proved to the world 
their moral grandeur, for they knew that -only in a free republic 
can humanity grow and develop itself. Over a century ago men 
felt the degredation to which they were doomed, and rebelhd 
against their oppressors; and today, in the present twentieth con- 


- 233 — 


tuiy, they know that the destiny of humanity is to advance toward 
a future of enlightenment, peace and happiness — in fact toward a 
universal brotherhood — and the twentieth century Avomen know' 
that their co-operation is needed. Women now realize the ineon- 
sistency, the injustice, of being excluded from taking part in the 
work wdiich alone wdll . give permanence to the free institutions 
which alone can make it possible for the people to put into daily 
practice the high principles that will lead toward human perfection. 
With the progress of the age, they become conscious that liberty 
and equality, in order to accomplish all the good in the world, must 
include the whole human family. Their keen sense of justice makes 
it plain to them that priAuleges and arbitrary rules are a violation 
of the principles of freedom, and, therefore, they boldly protest 
against human rights being confined to the masculine portion of 
the race. Women, like men, must think deeply and arm themselves 
wdth deep knoAvledge, and especially must women demonstrate that 
they are no longer the weak-minded, frivolous and superstitious 
beings of the past. They must listen to the earnest calls which 
the advancing civilization makes upon them for their co-operation 
in all the important affairs of life. They must remember that men 
have fought, have spread torrents of human blood, and little by 
little they haA^e forgotten their duties and alloAved personal am- 
bition to destroy true patriotism, and finally sunk into a Avorse 
kind of serfdom. This advancing and retrograding condition Avill 
continue until Avomen, Avhom nature has made the vestibule of life, 
shall attain the high, the moral and intellectual position to Avhich 
they are entitled. Garibaldi, that celebrated patriot, appealed to 
the poAverful help of the Avomen of Sicily, and not in vain! In that 
blessed isle, he said, the gentle sex has given, in all epochs, such 
proofs of courage as to astonish the world! American AVomen! avg 
OAve a great duty to the Avorld, foil we have thus far the best form 
of government on earth. We have the greatest opportunities for 
self-improvement, and the success of the ReconstructWe MoA'^eraent 
Avill depend, AAuthout the slightest doubt, upon the attitude of the 
Avomen. May they be induced, for the permanent salvation of the 
human family, to take hold of that glorious moA^ement, Avhich Avill 
establish the tAventieth century’s ‘new social, political, religious 
and industrial system!’ American women, let us hold this sentence, 
expressed by one of the great reformers, constantly before our 


— 234 — 


mind, “that the women of this land should be as ‘One’ in favor of 
this movement. It means more to them than it does to the men. 
The longing for freedom that is in the hearts of the millions of 
women in America will be answered after the dawn of the better 
day.’ Let us also remember what Aristotle said: ‘That when- 
ever the people of any nation will allow any man, or set of men, 
to put up toll-gates on the highways of a nation, the tribute re- 
ceivers will become richer and richer, and the tribute payers will 
become poorer and poorer, and eventually become the slaves of 
the tribute receivers.’ When asked what was the remedy, he 
replied; ‘Make them take the toll-gates down. But they should 
never have been allowed to put them up.’ 

“ ‘This is as far as I have gone,’ said the young lady, ‘but while 
reading, some new thoughts have flashed through my mind, which 
might, perhaps, be better adapted.’ My dear sister, you may well 
imagine how many sincere compliments the young writer received, 
and how my soul rejoices when meeting such nobly disposed people. 
And now I will close this long communication. Inclosed you will 
find an article by that good man, Victor Hugo, Avhich is worth 
reading until it remains impressed on the mind so as never to be 
forgotten. Good bye ” 

“Here it is,” said Ernestine, taking it up and unfolding it. ‘It 
isi not very long, shall I read it?” 

“Yes, please do,” said her friend. 

TO THE RICH, AND TO THE POOR. 

BY VICTOR HUGO. 

“I am asked what has been the lesson of my life, which I have 
learned in my years of living to bequeath as my most precious 
legacy to humanity? I reply that my soul has two messages of 
counsel, of promise and of threat to deliver — one to the rich and the 
other to the poor. The two contain the sum of human wisdom. 

“To the rich: The poor cry out to the wealthy. The slaves 
implore the rulers. And as much now as in the days of Spartan 
Helots. I am one of them, and I add my voice to that multitude, 
that it may reach the ears of the rich. Who am I? One of the 
people. From whence come I ? From the bottomless pit. How 
am I named? I am wretchedness. My lords, I have something to 
S3,y to you. My lords, you are placed high. You have power, opu- 


—235 


leiice, pleasures, unlimited authority, undivided enjoyments, a total 
forgetfulness of others. So be it. But there is something below 
you. Above you, pethaps. My lords, I impart to you a novelty. 
The human race exists! I am he who comes from the depths. My 
lords, you are the great and the rich. That is dangerous. You 
take advantage of the night. But take care; there is a great power 
— the morning. The dawn cannot be vanquished. It will come. 
It comes! you are the dark crowds of privilege. Be scared. The 
True Master will knock at the door. Who is the father of privi- 
leges? Chance. Who is the son? Abuse. Neither chance nor 
abuse is lasting. Both of them have an evil tomorrow. I come to 
.warn you. I come to denounce you in your false bliss. It is» made 
out of the misery of others. Your paradise is made out of the hell 
of the poor. I come to open before you the grand assizes of the 
poor — the soverign who is the slave, the convict who is the judge. 
I am bowed down under what I have to say. Where shall I begin? 
I know not. I am a diver, and I bring up from the depths a pearl, 

the Truth. I speak because I know. I have had experiences. I 

have seen. Suffering? No! The word is weak. Poverty? I have 
grown up in it. Winter? I have shivered in it. Famine? I have 
tasted it. Scorn? I have undergone it. Plague? I have suffered 

jit. Shame? I have drunk it. I feel compelled to come to you. 

Why? Because of my rage yesterday. Perhaps it was to force me 
to raise my voice among the satiated that God commingled me 
with the hungry ones. Oh, have pity! Oh! yon do not know this 
junhappy world in which you believe that you belong, for you are 
too high above it. I will tell you what it is. Abandoned an orphan, 
alone in this boundless creation, I made an entry into this gloom 
you call society. The first thing I saw was the law under the form 
of a gibbet; the second was wealth — your wealth — under the form 
of a woman; the third was luxury in the shape 
of a hunted man chained against a prison wall; the fourth 
were your palaces, beneath the shadow of which cowered the 
tramps. The human race has been formed by you slaves and con- 
victs. You have made of this earth a dungeon. Life is wanting, 
air is wanting, virtue is wanting. The toilers of this world, whose 
;fruits you enjoy, live in death. There are little girls who are made 
prostitutes at the age of eight years, and who end at the age of 
twenty by old age. Who of you have been at Newcastle-pn-Tyne ? 


— 236 — 


There are men in mines who chew coal to fill the stomach and cheat 
hunger. Look you in Lancashire — misery everywhere. Are you 
aware that at Burton-Lazars there are lepers driven into the woods 
and are fired at if they come out of the dens? In Peckridge, where 
there are no beds in the hovels, and holes are dug in the ground 
for the little children to sleep in so that instead of beginning with 
the cradle they begin with the grave? Mercy, have mercy for the 
poor! Oh! I conjure you, have pity! But, no, you will not! I 
know you all! To your golden thrones have gone up for ages 
the cry of misery, the groan of hunger, and the sob of despair, and 
you heeded it not. The misery thou hast caused shall be meted 
out to thee in turn. Bear in mind that a series of kings, armed 
with swords, were interrupted by Cromwell with an axe. Tremble! 
Dissolution draws near! The clipped talons push out again; the 
torn-out tongues reappear; they become tongues of flame. Para- 
dises built over hells totter. Ah! The social system is false. True 
society must come. Then there will be no more lords, there will be 
free, living men! There will be no wealth, there will be abundance 
for all. There will be no more masters, but brothers. This is the 
“Future.’^ No more prostration. No more abasement, no more 
ignorance, no more beasts of burden, no more courtiers — but Liglit! 

“To the poor: Shall I now speak to the poor after having 
^n vain appealed to the rich? Yes, I must. This, then, have I to 
say. There is one rule for the rich — to do nothing; and one for 
the poor — to say nothing. The poor have but one friend — silence. 
They must use but one monosyllable — yes. To confess and to con- 
cede, these are all the rights they have. Only the rich have the 
Tight to be happy. The rich man claims, when young, he has the 
rights of old age; when old, he has the lucky chances of the youth; 
doing nothing, he controls the production of the toilers. The toilers 
fight, where is the glory? The rulers receive from the people a 
crown piece and return a farthing. The capitalist who steals the 
reward of labor pretends to be a king as well as the man of blood. 
Where is the happiness to have to work forever for bread and 
water? Being poor we are ignorant; being ignorant we are bliiu^ 
What is society? Misery for us if we support it. Be reasonable, 
poor men, you were not made to be slaves.” 

After having finished the reading, Ernestine laid it down and 
folded her hands, and said: “I wish I could express and make a 


— 237 — 


record of the torrent of thoughts that are aroused in one’s mind 
when such living ideas are presented. Great Heavens! It does not 
seem possible that humamity has submitted so blindly to all man- 
ner of injustices, that it has not been able, after such terrible strug- 
gles, to gain the right path Avhich leads to permanent happiness! 
My dear friend, I firmly believe thali the hour is at hund for every 
woman whose heart is ready to help in promoting the needed 
changes in the world, that they will earnestly set their minds at 
work to post themselves, not superficially, but deeply, to acquire the 
information that will enable them to become powerful agents, and 
perform the new duties demanded by the new civilization. I shall 
obey my parents if I can, but I am prepared to meet any obstacle 
and never yield to anything opposed to the principles of the Recon- 
structive Movement. I am prepared to meet the opposition that I 
will have to face on my arrival home, but the useful knowledge that 
I have so Providentially acquired, will strengthen my resolution to 
devote my whole life to help the dear human family to realize their 
rights, their duties, and the permanent rewards which will be be- 
stowed upon all as the natural consequence of upright and virtuous 
living, and your assistance, my good friend ” 

‘‘Yes, and my brother’s,” interrupted Olga. 

“Yes, your good brother’s,” replied Ernestine, but she stopped 
suddenly, and with a strong effort she seemed to resist something. 
After a few seconds, in a gentle voice, she said: “A glorious vision 
was ready to appear, but I did not dare to receive it.” 

“You ought not to resist the precious gift you possess, my dear,” 
said Olga. “A gift of piercing into the future is too valuable. Now 
I hardly think we will hear from my brother again, for the time of 
our departure for the great republic is approaching. We will no 
doubt hear from our friends, Mme. Konrad and Miss Florence, and 
in order to be posted on everything, let. us meet every evening,” and 
after accompanying Ernestine to the door, they retired. 


— 238 — 




CHAPTER XVI. 

As they expected, the next evening, as they met, each) one had 
received a letter. 

“What a blessing,” said Olga, as she offered a chair to her friend 
“does not this news always keep the sacred fire of reform a-burning? 
This one is from our beloved friend. Mine. Konrad, and yours is from 
whom 

“From the one you mentioned last evening.” 

“Miss Florence ? Indeed ! ” 

“Yes; and you will please read yours first.” 

“Very well,” said Olga, and she began; 

“ ‘My Dearly Beloved Friends : I presume you are getting, or are 
ready for the long journey; so are we. I hope that the anticipation 
of the journey to America has not stirred you up as it has the young 
authoress. Her vivid imagination astonishes me, I must confess. 
Her enthusiasm is affecting, in spite of one’s efforts to remain pas- 
sive. If it suits you, we have decided to be ready to start within 
one week. My dear friends, I feel convinced that you, like the other 
two young ladies, will continue to lend your assistance to the great 
Movement of Reconstruction, which is making such a powerful and 
morally healthful impression upon the hearts of the people.' If it 
were not that we are soon to meet, I would write to you many re- 
markable events which are transpiring, and giving new hope and 
fresh enthusiasm to the untiring workers. I know you will be de- 
lighted to meet the authoress again. No obstacles can affect her de- 
termination to move onward. She looks deeply beneath the sur- 
face of what is called today ‘the great progress of the race,’ and 
philanthropy — so-called — which so easily misleads the people. She 
understands so perfectly well what every thinking individual must 
admit, that ‘false ideals and false ideas have filled the world with 
dreadful calamities.’ You ought to hear her wlien she expresses her 
views concerning the unfounded claims of the great progress of the 
race under the present system; the modern philanthropy which 


— 239 — 


creates again false ideals and false ideas, erecting homes for thd 
homeless, reformatories for the ‘redemption’ of the fallen; she 
strongly denounces those who waste their time and means in this 
useless patch-work. Would the true, the real progress, with its ele- 
vating and strengthening influence, cause the downfall of the num- 
berless unfortunate ones? Would it not give, she says, what she 
read in a reform magazine, ‘rest without weariness, peace without 
fear, comfort without strife^ life without sorrow; would not that 
‘real progress’ give health, permanent prosperity to all, and thereby 
good, only good? ’ She has become a prominent supporter of the 
principles of the Brotherhood of Reconstruction, and her actions are 
giving the world a living example of their saving power. She has 
succeeded in redeeming cases that had been given up as totally lost 
by philanthropic institutions. She has not only redeemed them from 
their moral downfall, but kindled the warmest enthusiasm in their 
hearts for the success of the Reconstructive Principles. She pre- 
sented to them and made them understand life in its true light. 
Life of harmony, peace and usefulness, and free from destitution 
and sorrow. She makes them fully understand that the people, 
when properly developed, can operate prodigies; upon them rests 
all power and goodness, but when lacking enlightenment, being mis- 
led, they are often ready to stone their defenders. My dear friends, 
if you are ready, we will look for your arrival next week. Good 
bye.’ ” 


“Now read yours,” said Olga, “I am anxious to hear it,” and Er- 
nestine quickly began: 


“ ‘My Dear Friends : I hope you have read what an inspired indi- 
vidual said, that ‘Not to love is not to live, or it is to( live a living 
death.’ The life that radiates with love to all is the life 6f richness, 
and continually growing in beauty and larger in its scope and in- 
fluence. Oh, how my soul wishes that the so-called eminent high 
classes could understand those great truths! And why, I like to 
ask, why do not those who are called modern prophets join the Re- 
constructive Movement, when they so plainly predict and see the 
increased sway of materialism, greed for wealth, and they claim to 
see this baleful, increasing influence in the colleges, churches, mar- 


— 240 — 


ket places, e v^ery where ? How can they state that the ‘blood and 
iron’ policy of Bismarck, of force and ambition, or might instead of 
right, and to the victors the spoils, has been adopted, not only in 
Europe, but also in America, and proclaim the dreadfully gloomy 
condition of the twentieth century, and are not willing to help 
to change the present wrong system? My dear friends, I do not 
doubt that you feel, as I do, an irresistible desire to start toward 
the great land of the free, where the efforts of the reformers meet 
with greater success than anywhere else, and where the women arc 
more receptive and surely will enter in line of the great saving 
movement,’ 

“ ‘Why is it that the so-called eminent prophets are so short 
sighted? Can they not understand that the present system is the 
cause of all the evils they describe ? Can they not seei' that the in- 
vention of machinery, which ought to be a blessing to all, increases 
the number of proletarians, who must starve, not being able to find 
work, and it induces the capitalists to become more and more soul- 
less? Why can they not, or will they not, understand what our 
movement teaches, that the instruments of collective labor must be 
owned collectively by the whole people, by the Co-operative Com- 
monwealth, in which every worker shall have the free exercise and 
the full benefit of his labor? Would they not, then, become con- 
scientious and hard workers in the Keconstructive Movement, and 
that work being so high and grand, would it not be easier for them 
to become untiring in their efforts, and would they not labor with 
an ever-increasing zeal? Think what a great help it would be to 
successfully check and pull down the wild speculations and false 
idols of humanity! But how can they be checked and pulled down, 
as a Jewish rabbi has said, as long as wealth and fashion weaken 
and ruin woman’s moral nature? It has been proven long enough 
that when women are ruled by that ambition, they no longer de- 
mand purity of heart, sincerity of motives, nobility of sentiments, 
and their lives are spent in erecting artificial distinction in human 
society, which constantly creates impediments and obstacles to the 
struggling masses, who strive to march forward, and they are 
marked by the heartless so-called ‘higher classes’ as plebians, and 
but little better than the cattle. Only the superficial observers 
fail to see the important fact that woman’s help is needed in this 
age of restlessness and discontent. I will repeat what T have heard 


— 241 — 


club women say, ^tliat they believe' that happiness increases when 
they broaden their lives with interests outside of the homes, and 
feed their intellects as well as their morals. How they believe in 
organization and co-operation, which brings a broader influence 
concerning social conditions; how they are raised above the aimless 
and selfish atmosphere of existence, and they learn how to conduct 
their homes more wisely, and how to preserve more carefully their 
energies, and accept with better understanding their great respon- 
sibilities in the world, and that to preserve the integrity of the 
home is to preserve the integrity of the nation. These good women 
will then assist in exposing the great evils which threaten the people 
by the dreadful speed with which the Avealth of the> nation is being 
grabbed by the few conscienceless and heartless individuals, and 
they will see that the only way of deliverance will be reached by 
putting into practice the principles of the Reconstructive Move- 
ment. These good women will learn, as you, my good friends, and I 
have learned, that the members of this great movement lose no sight 
of anything that will help to accelerate the redemption of our fel- 
loAV beings, hoAV they utilize every talent in all the lines of reform. 
What I will mention now is something neAV, butl very useful to me. 
One day I Avent with one of the members to a place AAdiere she had 
to attend to some business. While Avaiting a little Avoman appeared. 
When she perceived us, she stopped suddenly, and although a total 
stranger, her face seemed to reflect so much humor, satire and love 
of fun that she attracted at once my companion’s attention. She 
asked the little AVoman some questions and her ansAvers AA^ere so full 
of mirth that AA^e could not help being affected by it. My friend 
concluded at once not to lose sight of her, as she Avas endoAved Avith 
a large-sized faculty of mirth, a faculty Avorth culti\^ating, like any 
other, and she informed me that several of the same kind already 
belong to the Brotherhood, and hoAV much good they are accom- 
plishing; hoAV science teaches that this faculty helps to ascertain 
truth by perceiving the ridiculousness, inherent absurdity and in- 
congruity of falsehood and eAul, besides presenting truth and good- 
ness in a pleasing, pungent and good-provoking manner. Science 
asserts that h'idicule,’ when used in the proper Avay, becomes a most 
effective AA^eapon against errors and opponents; that the ‘public’ can 
often be laughed out of error into a better Avay by Avell-aimed shafts 
of ridicule, although nothing else might arouse it; that ‘the 


— 242 — 


fashions’ must disappear if we look to them as the sharp-shooters. 
Think, my dear friends, what a relief for women! The normal 
promptings of mirth, we are taught, are heaven’s choice blessings, 
and must be cultivated like all other faculties. Progress and virtue 
demand the exercise of all human faculties, and this important fact 
is fully acknowledged by our wise movement. It did not require 
much effort to induce the factious little woman to become inter- 
ested in this unique reform work, and everyone who has come in 
contact with her admirers her splendid qualities. She has already 
reached her middle age, and has lived all those years in mental ob- 
scurity, her natural talents unappreciated and neglected, but now, 
you ought to see the wonderful change! Would to heaven that the 
people could understand that the present system cannot create the 
environments so necessary to the development of all human minds. 
From a reform paper I quote the following, which I know you will 
appreciate, as we all do: ‘The spirit of brotherhood is upon the 
menibers of the Reconstructive Movement, because the spirit of 
freedom has annointed them to preach the good tidings unto the 
meek. He has sent them to bind up the broken hearted, to pro- 
claim liberty to the wage slaves, and the opening of the prison to 
them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the co-op- 
erative commonwealth, and if they listen carefully to the inner 
voice of the spirit, the day of permanent freedom to the oppressed 
and permanent comfort to all that mourn, is at hand. Our good 
and generous friend, Mme. Konrad, who knows so well that music 
and song infuse new life and vigor, and disseminates high influences 
through the entire being, and how, under this wrong system, the 
masses of the poor rarely enjoy this holy spell and foretaste of 
heaven, in which the whole soul becomes melted with holy tender- 
ness, and how music can do more to induce humanity to do good 
than all else combined, she has succeeded in finding a number of tal- 
ented young boys and girls, whom she has placed where their musi- 
cal talents and their fine voices will be cultivated, and these refin- 
ing sentiments, she knows, will be the means, under the Reconstruc- 
tive System, to banish selfishness and carnality and promote moral 
and spiritual elevation. This good lady has studied everything; 
you ought to hear her when she explains the analysis and cultivation 
of tune; how to cultivate music is to overcome evil tendencies and 
sensual inclinations, and develop the finer emotions and higher as- 


— 243 — 


pirations, and, like all the other faculties, they must be carefully 
cultivated and not perverted. Our beloved young friend and active 
worker, Armida, is really an intense and fervent singer. Mme. 
Konrad has decided to send her to Milano, and in due time she will 
be one of the inspiring leaders in our movement. It is really sad 
-when we learn how, under the present system, everything is spoiled, 
or entirely artificial. Everything is distorted and strained, so it is 
no wonder that song and music enkindles so little emotion, love and 
fervor in concerts, theatres and churches. We are told that angels 
live in song, and as women approximate nearer to them than any 
other earthly creature, our blessed movement will provide them with 
every chance to develop that power that will inspire the souls with 
love and wisdom. Then will the twentieth century be ready to re- 
ceive the message indicating the supremacy of spirit over matter, 
and then the true meaning of life will be understood. This very 
instant I receive the news from Mme. Konrad that within a few 
days we shall, if convenient to you, start toward, your native coun- 
try, and I know what a great delight it will be for all of us to meet 
again, so, hastily, I say good bye. Your loving friend, Florence.” 

Olga and her friend remained silent and seemed deeply absorbed 
in their thoughts, when, finally, Olga said: 

^^How very pleasant are the thoughts of the great good that 
can be accomplished by helping one another. You, my good friend, 
have helped Florence to become a useful member of society, and 
she has saved Armida from a wretched and dangerous condition ” 

“And you,” said Ernestine, “have been my strong guide; you 
have led me into the right path. You are right. Great good can 
be accomplished by helping one another, and I think, or rather, I 
am convinced^ of the truth which one of the great characters in 
America expressed in a famous letter in regard to the irresistible 
infiuence of the press in moulding public opinion. ^Were it left to 
me to decide,’ said he, Svhether Ave should have a government with- 
out newspapers, or newspapers without government, I should not 
hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. Without the press, free 
government could not survive the mutations that are constantly 
taking place. But with this watchful guardian, the attempt to 
overthrow a free government, once established, is practically im- 
possible.’ Now think, my dear friend, of the glorious future, when 
the best Writers, artists, musicians, singers, in fact, every gifted 


— 244 — 


being shall be willing to exercise the precious talents in order to 
reach and develop the best qualities, which lay dormant, for want 
of proper moral sustenance, in the great human family. It cer- 
tainly presents visions to our minds of a complete transformation.’’ 

‘^Oh, yes!” exclaimed Olga, ‘^how easily could the crises of cen- 
turies, which are at hand, be overcome if really the press would do 
its duty! Listen to these articles I have received. One is entitled 
‘‘Money Drunkenness.” They describe the evils but suggest no 
remedy. Listen: “Eight of every ten who fight in the business 
arena bite the saw dust. For men fight today as they fought in the 
arenas of Rome and Antioch, and eighty of the one hundred are 
carried out dead or defeated. Why? Because of competition. Be- 
cause of extravagance, bad habits and many other things. But 
largely because of speculation. Read the list of the victims of the 
get-rich-quick swindles. Men, women and children, all trying to get 
something for nothing. And there is gambling on the board of 
trade where the maelstrom swallows men alive. We are a nation 
of speculators. The craving for wealth becomes a disease. Men are 
money -drunk.’ 

“Is it not dreadful? And why does not the daily press mould 
the public opinion by making it understand that nothing but the 
co-operative system or the Reconstructive principles will save man- 
kind from the destroying competitive system, extravagance and evil 
habits. Listen to this other article: 

THE POWER BEHIND THE THRONE. 

“Judge, I’m low enough, goodness knows, but my wife is 
meaner. >She has stolen dollars where I have stolen cents. She 
taught me this meanness.” so spoke a criminal in a court the other 
day, and the police say he is right about his wife. On the same day 
the will of a prominent man was read. In it was this passage: “I 
owe everything I have — character and property — to my wife.” 
Whether or not the criminal first corrui^ted his wife, or she gave 
him lessons in crime, it matters not. She outran him in evil and 
dragged him after her. Whether or not the testator spoken of was 
better or worse, morally, than his wife, he undoubtedly owed her 
all he expressed in his will. It is a question of force, and woman is 
the greater force. Woman’s influence is the dynamo of power. The 
forces for good and evil are hidden in) the homes. 


—245 — 


^‘Here, again, the press describes the great wrongs, but does it 
suggest a remedy ? . Does it notj know, or does it not care to mould 
the public opinion by making it understand that the forces for evil 
are nourished and increased by the present abominable system? 
A great truth was expressed by Longfellow when he said: 

“ AYere half the power that fills the world with terror; 

Were half the wealth bestowed on camps and courts 
Given to redeem the human mind from error. 

There Avere no need for arsenals and forts. 

The Avarrior’s name Avould be^ a name abhorred, 

And every nation that should lift again 
Its hand against a brother, on its forehead 

Would Avear, forever more, the curse* of Cain!^” 

♦ 

‘^Noav that our minds are fully made up to become active 
Avorkers in this movement, let us do our very best to strengthen 
one another.” 

^Wes,” said Ernestine, “I feel that I Avill need your assistance, 
for the struggle Avill begin aneAV Avhen I reach home, and we Avill 
noAV retire,” and so they did. 

At the appointed day and hour the anxious travelers finally 
caught sight of each other, and the sincere joy expressed by every- 
one Avas really affecting. Ever^Thing having been arranged, they 
soon arrived on board and occupied their assigned place, and from 
beginning to end it proA^ed a delightful journey. They decided that 
Avhen they arrived on land, they Avould act as strangers and no one 
should know anything about their intimacy and their ideas of the 
reform movement until the time Avas favorable. With great re- 
joicing they heard that they Avere nearing the shore of the neAV 
continent. A hearty farcAA^ell Avas taken before they landed. Er- 
nestine Avas closely Avatehing the people Avho AA^ere Avaiting for the 
arriA^al of the passengers, Avhen she noticed a fine carriage containing 
tAvo ladies. Immediately she recognized her mother, and in due 
time the footman descended and opened the carriage, Avhile she 
Avent, almost fiying, and Avas- receiA^ed by her mother Avith open 
arms, expressing the tenderest mother’s feelings. 

‘‘Wnere is papa?” exclaimed her daughter. 

‘^He is at home, waiting for you. And now I want to intro- 


— 246 — 


(luce you to this lady, Miss Rogie, tlie daughter of a proiiiinent 
family, and I hope you will become good friends.” 

The young lady was endowed with a lively disposition, and 
actually entertained her young friend till they reached the home, 
and as they ascended the broad steps they noticed the father, 
who was standing at the entrance watching them, with a peculiar 
expression on his countenance. 

‘‘What is the matter?” asked his wife. “Are you not glad to see 
your daughter ?” 

“Certainly,” he said, and gave her a hearty welcome. “Her 
presence,” he said, in a low tone, turning to his wife, “is as strong 
a reproach to me as it w^as) before she left.” 

“Nonsense!” she said, and turning to the young girls, asked 
them to follow her. She went through all the rooms of the fine 
mansion, and would point out one set after another, and describe- 
the enormous prices required to give the home such a charming and 
magnificent appearance, and she would watch her closely to see the 
effect it would produce upon her. 

“Well,” she said, after they had gone through, “what do you 
think, and how do you like your new home?” 

Ernestine remained silent for a while, and then began to appear 
the peculiar expression, which impressed her mother very unpleas- 
antly, and shaking her vigorously, she said: 

“Do you still yield to the old superstitions? shame on you!” 

Without saying another word she rang a bell, a maid appeared, 
and she ordered her to take the young lady to her room. 

“Pardon me, dear mother,” said Ernestine, “I do not believe I 
am troubled with superstition, but the sight of all these magnificent 
products of human skill and labor filled my soul with admiration 
and respect for their great talent and genius, and, I think, they 
are the ones who ought to be surrounded by all this beauty and 
elegance, which certainly would inspire them to obtain new inven- 
tions, and beautify everything more and more ” 

“Hush, you foolish girl,” whispered her mother in her ear. “No 
wonder your father feels uneasy. Go and rest, and we will see to 
it that you become more reasonable,” and without waiting for any 
other remarks, she left the room. 

About two weeks after her arrival, Ernestine succeeded in send- 
ing a letter to her friend, Olga, who did not open it until she was in 


—247— 


the presence of Mine. Konrad, and both were delighted to receive 
news from their beloved friend, and then she read the following: 

“My Dear Friend: I must begin my letter with an apology. 
Already two weeks have passed — it seems hardly possible. And 
what have I done during this time? I am ashamed to say I have 
done nothing worth mentioning. Had I not had the good fortune to 
be surounded by good influences during my stay in Switzerland; 
had I not learned the real mission of one’s life, I do not know into 
what confusion and excitement and dissatisfled existence I would 
have been plunged. The expensive pastimes, the gorgeous attire, 
the* whole turnout so lavish and exclusive, calls for nothing in the 
human heart but blind ambition and absolute selfishness. Such 
sights carried on by a class, moneyed aristocracy or leisure class, 
as it is called abroad, are in every way detrimental. They not only 
are not satisfied in all their extravagance, but they search for more 
satisfaction in self-aggrandizement, and spending thus the precious 
time given To all for self-improvement,’ produces, greater evils than 
the world has thus far realized. When we start out among the 
wrongly-called Tommon people,’ in our handsome coaches with four 
thoroughbred horses, and everyone attired in the gayest fashion, 
one can notice the expressions of envy in some, awe in others, and 
the tendency to stifle the hope of ever rising from a condition of 
constant anxiety and struggle for daily bread. The experiences 1 
am going through are intensifying in my soul the principles pro- 
mulgated by the blessed Reconstructive Movement. Many times I 
cannot prevent a feeling of depression when I see the manner in 
which the girls of this class are trained. To their young and recep- 
tive hearts are never given even a ray of the elevating ideas which 
open the soul to the comprehensiveness of the universal good, the 
universal love, which would lead to perfection the great Unit of 
the human family. How pitiful that, through lack of understanding, 
they set limits to the genuine happiness ! And who, then, have the 
most morbid inclinations in the wrong direction? I am sorry to 
say, what has been confirmed so often, women! And now, more than 
ever, I become convinced that in order to carry on the great reform 
movement, that neglected force must be put into activity. My 
dear friend, you have no idea how my heart longs to be with you 
again. My sincere love to Mme. Konrad. Maybe you were sur- 
prised to receive my letter by a young lady; I am sorry I cannot 


— 248 — 


risk to send it to you tlirougli the postoffice, and you understand the 
reason why, and when 3^011 Avrite to me please address the letter 
to her. I can rely entirely upon that good, young friend. I hope 
I shall soon hear from you. Very sincerely yours, Ernestine.” 

‘‘I do wish, myself,” said Mine. Konrad, ‘^that the good young 
girl could be Avith us, for your brother has certainly directed us to 
the right place.” 

^‘1 am surprised,” said Olga, ‘‘that she has not mentioned some- 
thing in regard to the great reception that her parents! are going to 
give in honor of the distinguished Russian nobleman; you knoAV he 
has informed us hoAV the press had discovered who he was, and as he 
no longer appears incognito, he met Ernestine’s father at a banquet 
given by a number of capitalists, and noAV, their wives and daughters 
are taking ad\"antage of every opportunity to surpass one another 
in entertaining the foreign titled gentleman. Perhaps her mother 
has not informed her A^et. You knoAV, my brother courteously ac- 
cepts all invitations, and he makes the most careful study of the 
situation. The reception that Ernestine’s parents Avill give in his 
honor, according to the comments of the press, Avill surpass in 
luxury every one that has thus far been extended to him. I am 
anxious to see him, and so is he; he wants to consult and decide 
Avliat Avould be best, Avhether Ave shall be introduced into the high 
society or remain and perform our work, as Ave\ have commenced it, 
in this quite unpretentious way. I wrote to him that I felt sure 
that you Avere in favor of it, at least until something else turns 
up.” 

“You are right,” replied the lady, “and I Avas going to tell you 
to send to our friend a book, an excellent book, published in this 
country, and I Avish her mother Avould read it; AAdio knoAvs but it 
might aAvaken ncAv ideas in her mind? There is one passage Avhich 
sa^^s: ‘Why not relate all the good and great things that women 
haA^e done?’ Did not George Grote say that his history of Greece 
would never have been AAU'itten but for his Avife’s devotion, the en- 
couragement of her presence, and the assistance supplied b^" her 
intelligent assiduity? And the Avife of Edmund Burke; did he not 
find in her such comfort and helpfulness that he Avas led to ex- 
claim: ‘Every care vanishes the moment I enter under my OAAm 
roof’? And the poet, Moore; Avhat Avould he have been wHhout his 


— 24D— 

self-denying, tender, devoted and sensible Bessy? ‘I would not 
exchange my poverty with Catherine for all the riches of Croesus 
without heiV said Luther. Guizot, the statesman and historian, 
was cheered in the trials of an arduous) career by the loving faith- 
fulness of a noble-hearted helpmate. I could mention so many 
other good things, but I know you, will read the book yourself and 
then send it to her.’’ 

A few days later Mine. Konrad, Olga) and her brother were en- 
joying a pleasant afternoon; Ivanohe was relating many of his 
experiences, and one of the last was an invitation to attend a 
meeting of the Reconstructive Brotherhood. The attendance was, 
he said, large, and composed of a very earnest and intelligent mem- 
bership They are well drilled and very enthusiastic, and deter- 
mined to carry on the work to a perfect success. Speeches were 
made which showed the true spirit of reform. Reports were made 
of men, women, boys and girls, who used to live an aimless life, 
although they were gifted in many ways, and since they have come 
into the encouraging and well-ordered rules of the Brotherhood, 
they show a remarkable change and satisfaction in their new life, 
and many say they feel as if they were born again. The principles 
of this Brotherhood furnish them the light which makes them 
realize their True being.’ With joy and strength they cast off the 
awful burdens of selfishness, greed and malice. When I was called 
to make some remarks, I could not helpj repeating what I had read 
not long ago: Tt was the women who first went to find the Lord, 
showing that to women the risen truth was to be first revealed. 
They took with them spices and ointments, types of thoughts, 
fragrant with love, purity and devotion, and the more they became 
conscious of their power to promote the good, the more they demon- 
strated the true meekness of heart, and they are now gaining and 
spreading the saving principles that increase higher and enduring 
joys, better aims, holy peace and a constant renewal of energy.’ I 
also related what I had heard in labor organizations; the reso- 
lutions passed by them against the attitude taken by some of the 
churches, who denounce the organizations as dangerous, and they 
thought they were forced to say with Victor Hugo, to turn their 
backs to the church, that they may turn their faces to God. And 
they have stated that the organized labor unions of America are 
working for the good' of humanity, doing more good, morally, and 


— 250 — 


bettering the conditions of the people, making possible the better 
education of the masses, aiding in building more everlasting monu- 
ments of true Christianity, than alj the religious denominations of 
the country. And how plainly their resolutions show that the labor 
unions are ready to adopt the principles of the Reconstructive 
Movement, and let us rejoice, for every effort made to lead the 
people into the path of righteousness brings a new promise which 
will result in the redemption of the human race.” 

‘‘Someone is at the door,” said Olga, and as she opened the 
door she found the young lady, who handed her a second letter 
from Ernestine. She was invited to come in, but she said she had 
to return home immediately. Olga thanked her, and taking her 
seat, she opened the letter and real it aloud: “ ‘My Beloved Friend: 
This morning my mother told me she had engaged one of the most 
fashionable modistes, who is to make my garments in the best 
style so I may appear and make the most favorable impression 
upon the titled gentleman who has come from Russia, and is mak- 
ing a tour through the country. And every prominent family, that 
is, generally speaking, the mothers, are taking every opporftmit}^ 
to secure the honor of providing a titled husband for their mar- 
riageable daughters. She expects me to second her in every way 
so we may succeed in fascinating him, and then, her long cultivated 
ambition may be crowned with success. She is entirely ignorant 
that I am acquainted with your brother. I shall certainly be glad 
to see him, and how glad would I be if you and Mme. Konrad would 
also come! Good bye.’” 

“This is one of the most important events in a man’s or a 
woman’s life,” said Ivanohe, “but unfortunately it is not considered 
in that light among the so-called upper classes. I have the greatest 
respect and admiration for that young lady, for I know she is en- 
tirely free from affectation and worldly ambition. We shall wait 
and see what will result from the plans arranged by her mother. 
I will now relate to you my latest experience concerning the dis- 
covery of some neglected human talent. It is surprising to think 
that no one can take a look around without discovering all kinds 
of useful faculties. On my way home one day in the town where I 
attended the meeting, I saw a man driving a team. I watched and 
followed him at a short distance. He stopped near a house and 


— 251 — 


began to unload some barrels of oil. His appearance was, of course, 
greasy and soiled. He had pushed his hat back and his intelligent 
forehead and expressive eyes called my attention more closely. I 
walked nearer to where he was, saluted him, and asked him some 
questions, which he answered with much precision. I asked him 
why he did not fill some other position, having been endowed by 
nature with a large brain, indicating intellectual abilty. He 
stopped, crossed hs arms, and began staring me in the face. I 
noticed that his mind was stirred up. I kept silent and he said: 
‘You are right, sir. I have the greatest desire to exercise my brain. 
I am not satisfied with this kind of work, but what can a poor man 
do? I must earn my living, and here comes another one who is 
as unfortunate as I am. We have both been planning how to ac- 
quire more means so we might obtain a chance to buy some books, 
and that fellow would be a musical genius if he had the opportu- 
nity to make a study in that line.’ The other man was approaching 
with his team, his face was black and his clothes nearly saturated 
with oil. He was whistling and beating time with his feet. When 
he came down from his seat and saw me, he bowed very respect- 
fully, and I remarked to him: Your friend tells me that you are 
a musical genius. ‘Oh, I am crazy after music, in fact, everything 
sounds musical to me, even the heavy steps of the horses and the 
noise of the wagon, all set me going and I must either whistle, sing, 
or beat the time, and music — oh, it carries me up above the earth.’ 
It was not necessary for him to explain it, and quickly I made up 
my mind to assist them to obtain the positions that would benefit 
them as well as the rest. At the meeting of the Brotherhood I 
mentioned those cases, and an interesting discussion followed. The 
necessary steps were taken to enable the two young men, and others 
that were mentioned, to cultivate their good qualities, which will 
bless them with happiness and we feel positive they will be good 
workers in our movement. I see that you are employing your time 
so well, and although the task before us is enormous, the earnest 
work performed by women is of an immense value. I will read to 
you an article from a paper that has been sent to me from Italy;, 
which confirms these ideas. ‘How can it be denied that man is 
what woman has made him in the family? How can it be expected 
that free men can be born from enslaved mothers? How can it be 
expected that men will love and use polities right if they who in- 


— 252 — 


spire them from the cradle are not allowed the freedom to which 
they are entitled? Women must study politics in order to train 
good citizens. Then from free women will be born free men. Have 
not men always kept women in the background? Turn to history 
and you will see that she has been used as a blind instrument. 
Remember that the antique edifice of superstition has been upheld 
by women, and if persisted in, keeping them at a distance instead 
of recognizing them as companions in practical life, men’s efforts 
to destroy superstition and other evils will be fruitless; they will 
always be like a big ball between their feet, which will prevent 
their advancement and make them even fall. Men, have women as 
your equals in your civil and political life, and you will have on 
your side that force which has made, until now, your enemies pow- 
erful. Thinking men, elevate women to that position of respon- 
sibility and dignity which a progressive civilization demands. Do 
not oppose their enlightenment ; grant them their political rights 
and then they will no longer remain the blind instruments of des- 
potism and superstition, but will become a formidable power to 
push forward the car of progxess and increase the moral forces 
Avhich will establish equal laws and perfect justice. Men must 
understand that women are an active force, which makes the 
enemies of progress, who know it^ and do all in their power to 
keep them, on their side, almost unconquerable.’ ” 

am very glad,” said Mine. Konrad, ‘That you read that arti- 
cle, especially as it comes from a country that is considered as being 
one of the most backward ones. We are taking a close observation 
of everything that is going on in this country, and will continue 
our work, and we hope that you and Ernestine will clearly under- 
stand each other, and that you will redouble your force as the head 
of the Reconstructive Movement by having her as your helpmate.” 

“You are perfectly right,” said Olga, “and I feel positive that 
they are adapted to one another, and you will have a perfect wife, 
my good brother.” 

“I am fully aware of all the good qualities Miss Palmey pos- 
sesses, and I appreciate your good opinions, and we will patiently 
wait and see what the future has in store for ps. I am invited to 
visit a number of places and I hope to get through before the re- 
cetpion takes place; I may not have time to come and see you, but 
you will receive all the news.” 


— 253 — 


CHAPTER XVII. 

At the anxiously expected day Olga received Ernestine’s letter, 
informing her, and describing the scene of luxury her parents had 
displayed in honor of the Russian nobleman. ^‘You certainly have 
seen, and I assure you it was not exaggerated, the description given 
by the press,” ^she wrote. “I am very sorry that my mother is so 
completely wrapped up in these useless exhibitions, but I hope a 
day Avill come when she will discover that to become a slave of 
pride, one becomes deprived of everything that makes this life Avhat 
its Maker intended it should be. I was very glad to see your 
brother. No one knows that we are acquainted, and my mother is 
extremely pleased that we acted so friendly toward each other, 
and she will do her best to give us opportunities to become better 
acquainted, as she is afraid that some other -wealthy young lady 
may win his attention. I am very anxious to see the day when 
I can enter the field of reform, Avhen my life will be filled with use- 
ful work instead of idleness. I hope and pray that my parents 
will realize that self-abnegation, which opens our inner vision and 
sweeps the destroying forces of pride, envy and worldly fame from 
the human heart, helps, us to reap the joys and comforts which the 
world knows nothing of. Yesterday I entered the library, where 
father and mother were carrying on a lively conversation. Father 
asked mother to read an article in a paper he had never seen before, 
and which some one had sent to him through the mail. Mother 
protested bitterly, Those kind of papers,’ she said, ^are intended to 
bring disturbance; are we not surrounded with every comfort? Why 
shall we accept the silly ideas presented by these so-called reform- 
ers?’ Harshly she took the paper and threw it into the waste basn 
ket, then turning to me, she said: ‘Your father and I have arranged 
for an excursion and we have invited the noble gentleman, and we 
want you to appear as pleasant and attractive as possible ; we are 
anxious to have this matter settled^ for there are about a dozen 
other wealthy families who are using every means to secure him, 
but thus far he shows no where as much interest as he does toward 


— 254 — 


you.’ I turned my gaze toward my father, but he kept silent and 
looked at the floor. ‘You came to look for some books? Come, 
father, we will not disturb her/ and father arose and followed 
mother. I waited a while and then picked up the paper which 
mother had thrown into the basket, and cautiously I placed it in 
the book I had selected and then retired to my room. I read the 
heading and noticed it was written by Victor Hugo and was entitled 
‘The Reformer’s Task.’ Knowing that you and Mme. Konrad are 
great admirers of that good man, and the paper being torn and 
wrinkled, I copied it.” Olga began to read it: “‘What 
an aim — to construct people ! Ah, the people ! In 
the foreground, everywhere, in the full light, amidst 
sound of trumpets, are the powerful men, followed by 
the gilded men. The reformer does not see them, or, if he does, he 
disdains them. He lifts his eyes and looks at God; then he drops 
his eyes and looks at the people. There, in the depths of shadow, 
almost invisible on account of its submersion in darkness, is that 
fatal crowd, that vast and mournful heap of suffering humanity, 
that venerable populace of the tethered and of the ignorant — a 
chaos of souls. From time to time there passes over the surface, 
like squalls over the water, catastrophes, wars, pestilence, famine. 
Then comes a tremor of but brief duration, the depths of sorrow 
being calm, like the depths of the sea. These burdened ones are 
silent; they know nothing, they can do nothing, they think nothing, 
they simply endure. This whole mass creeps and expires, not having 
even the power to love — perhaps unknown to them. From the inar- 
ticulate murmur of those wretched breaths mingled together, pro- 
ceeds an indescribable, confused voice, a mysterious fog of expres- 
sions succeeding syllable by syllable in the darkness, uttering the 
wonderful words: ‘Future, Humanity, Liberty, Equality, Frater- 
nity, Progress!’ The reformer listens, and hears, he looks, and 
he sees, he bends lower and lower, and he weeps; and then growing 
with a strange growth, he stands erect, terrible and tender, above 
all those wretched ones — those of high place, as well as those of 
low — with flaming eyes, and with a loud voice, Isaiah like, he de- 
mands a reckoning, and he says: ‘Here is the effect, and here is 
the cause! Enlightenment is the remedy!’ He is like a great vase 
full of humanity, shaken by the hand within the cloud, ‘from which 
will fall to earth great drops — Are for the oppressors, dew for the 


— 255 — 


oppressed. Ah! you deem that an evil? Well, for our part, we 
approve it. It seems to me that someone should speak when all 
are suffering. The ignorant ones who enjoy, and the ignorant ones 
who suffer, have the same need of instruction. The law of fra- 
ternity is derived, from the law of labor. The practice of killing has 
had its day; the hour has come for loving one another. That it 
may be so, oh. Reformer! make a sacrifice for the masses! Sacri- 
fice for that unfortunate, disinherited, vanquished, repudiated 
throng called the masses! Sacrifice for them, if it must be, and 
when it must, by thy rest, thy fortune, thy life! The masses are 
the human race in misery. The masses are the mournful beginning 
of the people. The masses are the great victims of darkness. Sac- 
rifice for them! Let thyself be hunted, be exiled, like Voltaire to 
Ferney, like D’Aubigne to Genoa, like Dante to Verona, like Juve- 
nal to Syene, like Tacitus to Methymna, like Aeschylus to Gela, 
like John to Patinos, like Elijah to Horeb, like Isaiah to Ezionge- 
ber! Sacrifice thyself like Latimer and Ridley to the stake, like 
Warren to Bunker Hill, like Garrison to a Boston mob, like John 
Brown to the scaffold in Virginia, like Jesus of Nazereth to the 
Calvary! Sacrifice thyself, my brother reformer, to the masses; 
sacrifice for them thy gold, thy blood, which is more 
than gold, and thy thought, which is more than thy blood, and thy 
love, which is more than thy thought; sacrifice for them everything 
except justice. Receive their complaints, listen to them touching 
their faults, and touching the faults of others; hear their confes- 
sion and their accusation. Give them thy ear, thy hand, thy arm, 
thy heart. Do everything for them except evil. Alas! They suffer 
so much, and they know so little. Correct them, warn them, guide 
them, train them. Put them in the school of honesty. Make them 
spell the truth, show them the alphabet of reason, teach them to 
read virtue, probity, generosity, mercy. Hold the book wide open. 
Be there attentive, vigilant, kind, faithful, humble. Light up the 
brain, influence the mind, extinguish selfishness, and thyself give 
the example. The poor are privation, be thou abnegation. Teach! 
mediate, they need thee; thou are their great thirst. To learn is 
the first step; to live is but the second. Doest thou hear? Be ever 
in the form of light, for it is beautiful on this somber earth during 
this dark life; it is beautiful that Progress should have courage as 
a leader, that intelligence should have honor as a sovereign, 


-25G— 


that conscience should have duty as a ruler, that civiliza- 
tion should have liberty as a 'queen, and that humanity should have 
‘The Christ’ within, then there is hope of glory and righteousness 
filling the earth. To work for the people — this is the great and 
urgent need. To construct the people, according to the laws of 
progress; to construct them by means of light — this is the task 
that confronts us in the twentieth century.’” 

“Oh, I must take this immediately to our good friend,” and 
quickly running up stairs, Olga knocked at the door, and hardly 
waiting for an answer she found herself in the presence of Mine. 
Konrad, and looking so happy, she said: “I think tlie time lias 
come for us to push matters to a climax. I see you are busy, IMad- 
ame, but I know you will be glad to hear the news from Ernestine. 
It has done her,* and has done me, a great deal of good; in fact, I 
feel that I would neglect my duty if I did not use all my infiuen(*e 
to induce my brother not to postpone the marriage. The tasks 
which confront us are plainly explained in this article, and the 
sooner we combine our forces the reform will go steadily on. So 
I will write to my brother and send him this article, and I think 
something will result from it.” 

Not very long afterwards Mine. Konrad called Olga, and smil- 
ingly said: “It is my turn to inform you of the happy news that 
your brother and Ernestine are engaged to be married. We shall 
see them, one of these days. The news has caused a great sensa- 
tion, I was informed by one of our members ” A loud rap was 

heard at the door, and Olga had hardly Said come in when the 
young lady appeared, saying cheerfully, as she handed Olga a 
letter, “Some good news!” and quickly retired. ^ As fast as possible 
Olga opened the letter and read: “My Dearly Beloved Friend: I 
suppose you have air e ad heard that your good brother and I are 
engaged to be married. We are very anxious to see you and Mine. 
Konrad and consult together as to what to do concerning that great 
event. Please let me know when it will be convenient for you. 
iVdieu. E.” 

“I would be in favor,” said Mine. Konrad, “that all our ad- 
vanced workers, whom Ave can notify, could be given the chance 
to see the good young couple. We will secure a large hall and ar- 
range for a pleasant and private meeting, and when you Avrite to 
Ernestine, please explain everything to her, that Ave shall have 


— 257 — 


a large gathering, and that we expect to hear many good thoughts 
and ideas expressed by the young couple.”- 

‘'I will,” said Olga, “and I suppose it will take about two days 
before everything will be ready, don’t you think?” 

“Yes, I do, for there is a large number of members to be noti- 
fied, and we want to arrange everything so as to have a delightful 
meeting, and conduct it as quietly as possible.” 

As the time arrived for the large gathering, Ivanohe and Er- 
nestine were the first ones to appear, and their presence seemed to 
radiate the purest love, and everyone that entered the hall and was 
introduced expressed the great and sincere happiness enjoyed on 
such an unlooked-for occasion. The young couple were delightfully 
surprised as they saw the large assembly of the Brotherhood, and 
the time could not have been spent more pleasantly if they had 
been real brothers and sisters. “Before we part,” said Mine. Kon- 
rad, “we will ask Mr. Ivanohe and his bride to kindly address this 
large gathering.” A great applause arose and Mr. Ivanohe Avas 
escorted to the platform. He asked permission to read a paper that 
someone had sent him^ as a caution to be careful Avhat he did. I 
was also notified that what the paper contained had been printed 
some time ago, Avhen something similar took place, which is, “The 
daughter of an American millionaire AA^as married to a titled v 
European,” and the individual Avho sent it to me thought it Avas 
Avell adapted for my OAvn case. Listen to the titl6: ‘American 
Snobbery.’ ‘As a matter of sober truth,’ it says, ‘it is nobody’s 
business Avho marries Miss. E., or if she does not marry at all. And 
yet, the American nation is compelled to knoAV all about it. We 
are surfeited Avith every minute detail of the ‘preparations.’ We are 
informed of every trivial detail. Presently the bride’s garments 
Avill be described, and tAA^o continents are open-mouthed, gaping, 
eye -protruding, in admiring Avonderment of the most ordinary event 
in life. Even the judicious are stirred to mutiny. If they _ are 
Americans, they cry out against the servility, the lick-spittle, toad- 
eating attitude of their countrymen making obeisance at the feet 
of this daughter of the dollar and this ass of aristocracy. LoAver 
the scale a fcAV degrees, make Miss E. an honest, hard- AA^orking 
servant in the kitchen of a respectable family, present us this Kus- 
sian nobleman in the condition of many a better man driving a 
horse car, or serving the hungry public in a restaurant. They are 


— S5S— 


human beings in their spheres, as they are in the ‘exalted’ position 
they claim to occupy, but the marriage of ordinary Miss E. and 
plain Mr. I. would not produce a ripple on the surface of the social 
swim. The difference does not lie in the humanity of the people 
before whom we are posturing, but in the act that they are people 
of ‘consequence’ and ‘position.’ The one is an heiress of millions 
robbed from the people by a conscienceless individual, the other is 
‘descended’ from a feudal banditti, who enslaved their peasantry 
and impoverished them, until grass was their food and revenge their 
religion. Miss E.’s parents are paying a big price for a title. This 
simple statement of the condition does not absolve the American 
people, or that portion of them, at least, who are playing such fan- 
tastic tricks before high heaven! Our fierce democracy is the 
laughing stock of the world, and no welkin- splitting guffaw is 
louder than that which emanates from the throats of the ‘European 
nobility.’ It is a laugh rancorous as the grinding of files, and it is 
accentuated by a sneer that rips the lips of the ‘aristocracy’ from 
the Ganges to the Thames. Oh, my countrymen and my country- 
women, you ‘real sovereigns,’ bearing aloft the aegis of the grandest 
republic the world has ever seen, why are you so abashed in the 
presence of these false gods? Why do you grovel and crawl and 
cringe in the presence of this gilded mammon and this tinsled 
Lazarus of nobility? As Americans we have a right to protest 
against this insult to American manhood and American woman- 
hood, and, as Americans, we set the seal of honest condemnation 
and denial on the assertion that Americanism by all who bow 
down and worship at this shrine of jesters, fools and parasites!’ 
My dear friends, I know every one of you agree with me, that not 
a single sentence is exaggerated in this paper, and many of the 
different reform movements who do not know Miss Palmey and 
myself, have been circulating in their papers articles of this kind. 
We do not blame them; on the contrary, they are right. The an- 
nouncement of our engagement has caused a great sensation, which 
will increase, as the press is well paid for advertising the coming 
event. Miss Palmey and I will not represent the class distinction 
that has always caused unhappiness in the world, class distinctions 
which cause blindness and prejudice and make the blind unable to 
see how to create a higher social order and a truly nobler humanity. 
Our movement, as you all know, has an enormous task to perform 


— 259 -- 


for the gi’eat and useful human masses are constantly deceived 
concerning their real happiness. The church preaches again and 
again that man was not made for this world alone; that real 
happiness can never be attained on earth; that it is in store for 
humanity in the next world. Is it right, brothers and sisters, to 
impress these false doctrines upon the useful classes and thus keep 
them in subjection? Why does it not denounce the tyrants, who 
control the means of information — the press — and we are told, often 
the pulpit! The preacher tries to make the people believe that 
real happiness can never be attained on earth. What a great mis- 
take! We must teach the people until they fully understand it, 
that real happiness can be attained on this beautiful earth, if we 
understand our True self’ and live the right life. I will reepat a 
little poem, not by a preacher but by a twentieth century woman: 

Do you wish the world were better? 

Let me tell you what to do: 

Set a watch upon your actions; 

Keep them always straight and true. 

Rid you mind of selfish motives. 

Let your thoughts be clean and high — 

You can make a real Eden 
Of the sphere you occupy. 

—ELLA WHEELER WILCOX. 

'Tf we rid our minds of selfish motives, do you think the pres- 
ent system, which creates and upholds an upper crust of society as 
vicious as the other extreme, the lower crust, could continue to 
exist ?” 

“No! No!” exclaimed the audience. 

“In one of the states the governor ventures the 
prediction that ^unless in the future — in the near 
tr.ture — greater harmony is restored between labor and 
capital, the country will be plunged into a civil war more disas- 
trous than any previously recorded in history.’ But does he sug- 
gest any peaceable remedy? My dear friends, when we hear such 
a dreadful prediction in this country, whose sacred duty it is to 
lead the less favored ones in the world, I feel as if the Reconstruo- 
tive Movement will have to spread the saving seeds, work day and 


— 260 — 


night, work unceasingly, until tins wrong system is completely 
alia ill its place appears the new, the elevating and glo- 
rious co-operative system !’' Great applause. ‘Why, oh, why is it 
that the people do not become aware . that they are treading on 
dangerous ground, and they are already threatened that the rotten 
foundation must sink ? the Reconstructive powerful remedy 
must appear as convincing as possible before the people’s minds, 
that all, all the people will have equal opportunities to develop 
mind and body to the fullest extent; and under that blessed sys- 
tem there will be no longer any distinction by creating rich and 
poor, but all will be equal, and that certainly means the triumph 
of morality and the disappearance of social corruption, capital cor- 
ruption, which has always bled the useful toilers. The'^evils of life 
will vanish, when there will be pleasant and useful employment 
for all, without overwork, anxiety, oppression, and there will no 
longer be millions of wage-earning children, and millions of adults 
unemployed for the purpose of enriching the exploiting few, who so 
madly reverse the social orders. No one will complain in this world, 
for cities and villages will be rebuilt on more sanitary and beauti- 
ful plans, and provided with all modern comforts, and so, everybody 
will have a good home, and everybody will be free to choose the 
occupation for which he is naturally fitted, and everybody will have 
the necessary time for study and useful recreation. And then, there 
will be no more hungry beings and no more bloodshed Avhen we 
have the just economic system. Real happiness will be attained 
on God’s earth when the big factories and shops will be completely 
transformed. The people must be taught that they will not be, as 
one great reform paper says, in the smoky and cheerless place of 
drudgery where they are today. They will be equipped wi^h elec- 
liical appliances, built on a beautiful plan and kept as clean as the 
art galleries and museums are today. Work in these factories will 
be an inspiration and pleasure. Think, my friends, that instead of 
being repulsive like the capitalist factories, they will be very at- 
tractive. And think how quick the greaf woman’s problem will be 
solved, for they will no longer be compelled to sell themselves for 
money, or for protection, to men, and no woman will have any other 
reason for marrying but love, and the children, the dear children 
will be given every opportunity for the best education and to develop 
health and strength. Criminals and all other abnormal individuals 


— 261 — 


will be treated as morally diseased people. There will be no prisons, 
no solitary confinement and judicial murders. Happiness, then, 
will not be in store for humanity, as the preachers say, ‘in the next 
Avorld,’ but as the true reformers know, in this land. That we shall 
all be workers, all brothers, not only in the United States, but all 
the workers in all other countries wdll be our brothers. Wars will 
thus become impossible, and peace and happiness will reign on 
earth!” A great and long applause followed, and when order was 
restored, Mme. Konrad arose and said: 

“Ladies and gentlemen, we will now listen to another good 
speaker. Miss Palmey.” 

As she was escorted to and stood on the platform, she was en- 
thusiastically and heartily greeted. In her usual earnest way, she 
began : 

“Good Friends and Co-workers: It is immensely gratifying to 
us all, no doubt, to be present at such a large gathering of active 
workers in the Reconstructive Movement. In my mind, as well as 
in yours, are such contrasting pictures, which so plainly show that 
the sorrow in the present condition of s'ociety is so deep, cold and 
oppressive, that our efforts for its amelioration are compelled to 
increase. The terrible mistakes of indulging in pride, envy and 
hypocrisy, which fills the world with discord and destruction, must 
be uncovered until the people comprehend that those passions 
are the creators of hell in this, as well as in the other existence, 
and in order to gain the kingdom of heaven, or Divine harmony, 
they must be overcome, not in a half,- but in a radical way. Tell 
me, my friends, would those contrasting pictures, afflict the human 
mind, would they exist, or appear at all, if every living individual 
would live the righteous life? And can any humanitarian 
pretend that under the present condition of society the righteous 
life can exist?” 

“No! No! Impossible!” exclaimed the audience. 

“Can the true sense of justice permit us to assert that the so- 
called twentieth century high civilization is applied to the good 
of all the human family? Certainly not! And why is it that re- 
ligious teachers are so far behind the times? You heard that one 
of them said, T would give the ballot only to persons who have 
character and intelligence enough to make good citizens.’ And one 
of our good reform movement workers said, ‘Would it not be more 


— 262 — 


in harmony with the reverend gentleman’s cloth to contend bravely 
for conditions that would enable all to be intelligent citizens ?’ 
Have those teachers not learned yet that great wealth is a curse to 
the possessor, and that, as a rule, the sons of the wealthy are dis- 
sipated, depraved and entirely useless? That private wealth cannot 
create real happiness? Can they not see that the dominance of 
class interests is what prevents the moral and intellectual elevation 
of humanity? And can they not understand why, no nation can 
remain great while poverty and want pervades the masses and 
luxury is the idol of the few? This gigantic problem that con- 
fronts the masses must be solved by them, for they are the real 
power, and they will succeed when they listen to what a poet said: 

‘Yes, harness every river above the cataract’s brink, 

And then, unharness man. 

To earth’s reservoirs of fire let your giant shaftings sink. 

And scourge your drudging thunder-bolts — and give man 
time to think. 

Throw your bridles on the rivers, curb them at the cataract’s 
brink — 

And then, unharness man.’ 

“Those few sentences contain a great significance. The human 
masses are harnessed, and they cannot think; as they cannot think 
they are surrounded with fear. Why? Because fear is the result 
of ignorance. Here is an article from a daily paper, which describes 
two dreadfully contrasting pictures. It is entitled ‘Shame! 
Shame!’ but no remedy is suggested. One picture is, ‘Concerning 
railroad contract labor, unprecedented in the annals even of pau- 
perism. Corporations, calling themselves Christian, traftic in human 
lives, oppress the poor, literally build their tracks upon the skele- 
tons of a downtrodden race. That thus far no 
champion of humanity has come forward to strike 
a body blow at the corporation vampires, simply 
shows that no one has felt strong enough to assault these gigantic 
interests.’ My dear friends, is it possible that the daily press does 
not know that a powerful Reconstructive Movement exists? Do 
they not make a great mistake by ignoring it, and thereby encour- 
age the Destructive Movement? The other picture represents tlie 


— 263 — 


splendid trains, the surroundings of which are princely, and only 
the wealthy tourists can enjoy the trips. The cars, it says, are 
finished in mahogany and rosewood; hung with costly draperies, 
decorated with stained glass, crystal mirrors, equipped with silver 
plated lavatories, bath service, barber shop, lounging apartments, 
in brief, all the appointments of a palace on wheels. The dining 
service is exquisite. The tables are set with silver plate, and there 
are even private drawing rooms in which every comfort, convenience 
and luxury of living is provided. The press says: ^Little do the 
people dream of the awful truth, that the railroad ties are Avatered 
Avith the blood of toiler victims of contract labor! It is a jealously 
guarded secret, a secret that this paper has exposed, and to the 
shame of all concerned, has fiung naked before an astonished world.’ 
The press exposes the dastardly crimes against humanity commit- 
ted by railroad corporations, but does it mention a single A\"ord 
concerning the other toilers? Who has constructed the cars in ma- 
hogany and roscAvood? Who have produced the costly draperies, 
crystal mirrors, silver plates, and all the luxuries of a palace on 
Avheels? The laboring class! And are they giA^en a chance to enter 
the princely surroundings that they create, and how often they are 
compelled to a bloody conflict and strive to death for their limited 
rights? Is it possible, under such conditions, to reach a high civi- 
lization? The men and Avomen Avho have joined this reform moA^e- 
ment fully agree Avith the statement made by W. Dean HoAA^ells, 
that ‘Till a man is independent, he is not free. The man Avho is in 
danger of Avant is not a free man, and the country Avhich does not 
guard him against the danger, or does not insure him the means of 
liA^elihood is not a free country, though it may be the freest country 
that is. Liberty and poverty are incompatible, and if poverty con- 
tinues, liberty is impossible. The unrest, Avhich is called labor 
trouble is nothing more nor less than an endeaAmr for the liberty 
of Avhich the working class is dispossessed. The Avorthy classes to 
Avhom the Avorld is indebted for all its comforts and embellishments, 
and Avhen the neAV system shall be established, there Avill be a 
Avonderful deA^elopment of human skill. The Avorkingman’s chances 
Avill not be curtailed; he Avill not be held doAvn as he has ahvays 
been. At present Ave can count the men Avho haA^e risen, and shoAAui 
the Avorld their talents, only by small numbers, but one encourag- 
ing feature is this, they arose from the Avorking, and not from the 


— 264 — 


idle classes. Edgar Allen Poe was the son of strolling players; 
Benjamin Franklin was the son of a tallow chandler; George Pea- 
body was a grocery boy; John Adams was the son of a poor farmer; 
Gifford, editor of the Quarterly Peview, was a common sailor; Ben 
Johnson was a bricklayer; Andrew Jackson was the son of an Irish 
workingman; Andrew Johnson was a tailor; Garfield was a boy of 
all work; Grant was a tanner; Lincoln a keel boatman and common 
farm hand. Poor humanity has rarely been given the chance to 
select the professions or trades best suited to their natural capaci- 
ties and inclinations. It is worse than folly to turn the minds of 
the people into channels which they are unfit to master, it means 
their ruin and a great loss to the world. Poverty must be abol- 
ished, it is one of the great obstacles of the world’s progress. Labor 
must be honored, and every healthy man and woman must be wil- 
ling to do their share, then will the criminal element disappear, 
and life will be demonstrated in a glorious aspect. When poverty 
is destroyed, pride and hatred, greed and oppression, ignorance and 
haughtiness, with all the other evils, will disappear from the world, 
and a new conception of life will encourage everyone to live the 
highest moral life, and the system proposed by the Reconstructive 
movement will furnish everything needed to bring universal peace, 
harmony and energetic efforts toward obtaining more perfection, 
because, through it every high faculty will be constantly fed and 
renewed by constantly performing noble deeds, and then the clear 
view of life will help mankind to put on immortality, for ‘where our 
treasure is, there will our hearts be.’ From the bottom of my soul 
I am grateful for having been given the opportunity to come in 
contact with so many heroes and heroines, and I thank you for 
your patience and kind attention.” With a graceful bow she took 
her seat, and from every part of the hall sounded the heartiest 
applause. Pretty soon Mme. Konrad arose and said: 

“Ladies and Gentlemen: This gathering of so many noble- 
hearted members has in a great measure renewed our courage and 
our sense of duty. If time did but permit we would ask everyone 
to give a full expression of their views, for we all know that the 
task is sublime and it will make life worth living. We shall no 
longer hover around the borderland, considering this precious life 
as only a weary pilgrimage, but will fully realize that the power 
is given humanity to bring the Kingdom of Heaven on earth; and 


— 265 — 


its precious effects will be felt in everyone’s daily life. The young 
couple intend to do soinetliing that will stir up the people and set 
them to thinking, but they have not fully decided what it shall be. 
They feel sorry that they are compelled to use extreme measures, 
but they hope it will result in a great blessing to all. When the 
plan shall be fully arranged everyone will be notified, and we know 
everyone will be ready, as the work will be carried on with greater 
zeal and enthusiasm. The harvest will be great, and we know the 
laborers shall not be wanting. We will now adjourn, close this 
pleasant meting and extend to all sincere thanks.” 


—2m 


CHAPTER XVIII. 

We will now take the kind reader back to Chapter 1, where 
the description of the great event took place. The shock was so 
licavy that the whole assembly remained for some time petri' 
fied. ‘ The next day the public was startled by the strange news. 
The press presented the matter in such a style that the upper 
classes were horrified. For several weeks it kept the public in a 
most anxious suspense. Finally an explanation appeared, coming 
directly from the Russian nobleman, in which he said: ‘Tie and 
his wife both regretted that the present social conditions had com- 
pelled them to act as they had, and had they not done it, and fol- 
lowed the wrong social rules, they would have been guilty of sup- 
porting a state of alfairs which threatens to destroy the freedom 
which this nation, by great sacrifices, had obtained. That European 
titles and American wealth form a combination that will result in 
renewing tyranny and despotism. As members of the Reconstruc- 
tive Movement, it is our duty to stand firmly on the right side. 
The un-American acts are being adopted by the modern aristocracy, 
and are hollow mockeries, and to arouse the people they must have 
facts, strong facts, which will prove to them that oppressors and 
oppressed can no longer, then, spoil the beautiful sight of God’s 
earth! Armed with the strongest and most sincere desire to do 
our share of the work and accomplish the greatest good within our 
reach, my wife and I have left forever what is considered by the 
unthinking world — the upper class — situation, and we are ready to 
march in straight line with the advancing forces, Avhich are more 
powerful in this land than in any other in the world. My wife, the 
daughter of a multi-millionaire, who has for some years kept a 
close observation, realizing more and more the great wrongs, she 
has resolved to enter the field of reform, and she feels that every 
good and thinking woman in this land who knows the great need 
of reform, that not a single one will stand back, for, looking at it 
from the right point, the appeal to their conscience and soul will 
be so strong that it will be impossible for them to resist it, and 


— 267 — 


then how soon will justice assume its natural position^ how soon 
will blind faith, selfishness and ignorance disappear, for then will 
the world blaze with the light of intelligence, which will rule out 
of nature every plague, by cultivating the life-giving, pure broth- 
erly love, honesty and goodness/* 

The open statement, coming directly from the Russian noble- 
man, caused a new sensation. Bitter criticism appeared in the daily 
press, while the reform papers praised and upheld what they con- 
sidered the most impressive lesson of the day. The 3^oung couple 
received invitations from many organizations. Everybodj^ seejned 
anxious to see them and hear them express the new ideas. Com- 
plimentary notes were sent them from distant places. The Brother- 
hood of Destruction sent two of their most prominent members to 
interview them, and personally express their approbation, and invite 
them to attend one of their special meetings, which would be ar- 
ranged to their honor, and they cheerfully retired when their invi- 
tation was accepted. When the extraordinary young people a’p- 
peared before the assembly of the Destructive Movement, the greet- 
ings were so enthusiastic and courteous that the young wife wa?s 
greatly suipiised. The presiding officer introduced them in the 
formal way, and his remarks showed the sincerity of his admiration 
of the wonderful act they had performed, which overwhelmingly 
demonstrated it as an act above, higher above, what the world con- 
siders the most distinctive feature of society. A most remarkable 
act performed by a titled nobleman and a millionaire’s daughter, 
which showed their plain understanding of what the human race 
needs in order to awaken them from their heavy moral slumber. 
The sordid and deceitful state of affairs surrounding the world, he 
said, must be swept entirely away, or history will repeat itself, 
arrogance and oppression will again appear under a different form, 
but its effects as appalling, or more so, than in the past. The curse 
of creating vested rights has always kept the world in sorroM . 
but it will increase, as it never had a chance before, for it will take 
advantage of all the modern and stupendous discoveries; it will 
renew, » if not stopped, all the evils of the past by spreading the 
worship of mammon. The destroying feature of capital has been 
nourished for years by constantly keeping before the public mind 
the false ideas of the self-made man, who, no matter by what means, 
accumulated piles of capital, and thp minds of the people wei’e 


— 208 — 


turned to the treasure that is destroyed by moth and rust. Is it 
right that labor shall be at the mercy of that .treasure ? Is it 
right that the great masses of toilers shall depend for their daily 
existence upon the few, whose only scope in life is to pile it up? 
Therefore, I must repeat, again and again, that no true man or 
woman can disapprove the plans adopted by this Brotherhood. This^ 
Brotherhood owes most of its growth to the care with which it se- 
cures the co-operation of every individual who is endowed by nature 
with gifts which are utilized to bring to light what is best adapted 
to stir up the hearts of the people. We have secured orators wiio 
can charge their speeches with such strong and life vil)ratioiis tliaf 
wherever they are heard their listeners are compelled to think, take 
hold of the new ideas, and fall in line with the fighters against the 
existing wrongs. We have secured the co-operation of persons who 
can represent on canvas scenes, that if once seen, can never be for- 
gotten. Literature, we know, is a great eye-opener and guide, but 
art represents the facts in such vivid forms, that it is not surpris- 
ing if so many persons are inspired at the sight of paintings which 
awaken thoughts and ideas that appeal to the noblest sentiments 
of mankind. *1 need proceed no further, for we know that the Re- 
constructive Movement obtains, as we do, the powerfuj. 

help from the persons who, under this competitive 

system would never have the opportunity to demon- 
strate their precious gifts. We have sent for one of o n. 

workers, and I hope he will be here in time to display some of his 
interesting scenes.” He took his seat and the orchestra began, first 
in sweet and plaintive notes, and gradually it turned into notes of 
strong appeal, a peculiar but very affecting combination. Suddenly 
the lights were put out and a beautiful scene appeared, represent- 
ing a regal splendor, a cardinal, acting as consecrator, two arcli 
bishops, a dozen bishops, many priests and scores of acolytes assist- 
ing in the ceremonies and celebration of mass. A large audience, 
awed by the solemnity and majesty of the ceremonies, witm^ssed 
the consecration of a bishop, who was escorted by two bishops to 
the foot of the main altar. The bishop-elect appeared robed in a 
long, purple cassock, and on his head was the purple beretta. The 
vestments of the bishop, including the gold-plated and jeweled 
crozier, which were of the finest silk and linen, edged with pearls 
and bedecked with amethysts and diamonds worth about teii thous- 


and dollars, were exhibited. That scene of regal splendor slowly 
disappeared and in its place was seen a plain valley, inspiring peace 
and sweet calm. At the sight of the unpretentious master the 
people around him showed no awe, for there was no pomp nor regal 
splendor to appeal to the external senses. The master’s words 
reached the inner and good qualities of his hearers, for they meant 
love and compassion. He healed the sick; his living words touched 
the hearts and converted the wrong-doers. He knew that ceremo- 
nies were not only useless, but harmful, for, instead of helping 
the people to concentrate their thoughts on the Eternal Being, their 
minds were dissipated by such glaring worldly exhibitions. This 
scene also disappeared, and after a short prelude of music the hall 
Avas liglited again. The president said: “Before we adjourn we 
shall ask our guests to do us the favor to visit our headquarters, 
Avliere they Avill be shown our most important Avork.” A number of 
persons in the hall arose to their feet and said: “Mr. President, 
Avill you please ask the lady to kindly express her vieAVS?” The 
president, turning toAvard the lady, said: “Yes, Madame, aa^c knoAV 
that you will grant us the faAmr, and although our vieAvs may differ, 
Ave shall listen to you Avith great pleasure.” The lady advanced to 
the front of the platform, gracefully addressed the president, then 
turning to the audience, began: 

■ : -iM. s an 1 f^cnllemen : While listening and observing eA^ery- 
thing this evening, my mind has been in a constant stir. One idea 
calls up another, and the realm of thought into Avhich AA"e are car- 
ried in discussing the questions that are to be solved, seems limit- 
less. We are reminded that Americans and American advanccmerd 
me the Avonder of the world. While other nations have lagged in 
the rear, have hung with fanaticism to the old methods, Americans 
have been compelled to work out their own salvation. Hoav, please 
tell me, thus far, Avhat does this saHation mean? Is it really true 
rhat in America, and among Americans, the spirit strives for AAdiat 
is termed progress? Steam, electricity and labor-saving machinery 
being utilized, Avould it not be natural that these marvelous labor- 
saving inventions should lighten the Avork and greatly, entirely 
improve the condition of the toilers; that the enormous modern 
poAver of producing Avealth should make poverty disappear forever? 
Does not this marvelous labor-saving invention, carried on under 
this destroying competitive system, cause a greater industrial de- 


— 270 — 


pressioii, compelling to involuntary idleness and want, the laboring 
masses? Is this salvation, when the struggle for existence becomes 
sharper and capital runs in search of higher interest? Is it true 
that under the present system Americans work out their own salva- 
tion, when they are mercilesslj^ dividing the human family? 
My soul felt deeply oppressed when I received the information 
that in the factories where labor-saving machinery is used little 
children are put to work; that amid the greatest accumulations of 
wealth men die of starvation, and puny infants suckle dry breasts, 
while the greed for gain, the worship of wealth, is on the increase, 
and finally this land, unless a change for the better eomes, 
Avill be destroyed! Can it be otherAvise, if the ambitious 
individuals claim lordship over men, and ther. claims are made more 
sacred than the God-given rights of men? When this criminal 
reasoning effaces the Divine LaAVS, and the blind subjects consider 
it their duty to murder, plunder and commit every crime? The 
more one investigates, the clearer can be perceiA^ed the alarming 
conditions, and, to a great extent, it is discouraging if Ave consider 
that there are so many people who see all the evils and yet make 
not the least effort to prevent them. Why cannot every true man 
and Avoman understand hoAV important it is for eA^eryone to stand 
fearless and firm on the side of the true reform? These are days 
of rumors of war, and of Avar preparation, say many of those Avho 
see the wrongs but suggest no remedies. Ponderous battleships, 
cruisers and torpedo boats are being built to fight on the seas, and 
great and terrible cannon, machine guns and rapid- nre guns are 
being forged for both sea and land, and armies are being increased, 
and the call groAvs louder for more marines to man the fighting 
ships, thus attempting the impossible task of harmonizing the mur- 
derous butcheries and destruction of Avar Avith the gentle and tender 
love of the Prince of P^ace ! Why are men so absorbed in the amassing 
of millions, and not satisfied, they Avant to possess billions, AAdiich 
is the goal for Avhich they are feverishly struggling? This strug- 
gle in the field of commercialism cannot help but create animosities 
that, so many say, Avill haA’^e to be settled on the bloody field of 
battle if the blind idolaters of AA^ealth turn this beautiful AAmrld into 
an arena of conflicting forces. Ladies and gentlemen, you express, 
I knoAV, a strong desire to draAV into your line the ReconstructiA^e 
MoA^ement, but alloAV me to tell you that AA^e feel convinced that 


— 271 — 


the time will come when only the best kind of movement, which 
can accomplish what the world needs, will exist. The basis of the 
Reconstructive Movement is brotherly, pure love; it 
recognizes the “Unity” of the whole human family. 
It recognizes the Divine Essence in every human 
being, and its aim is to assist every brother and sister to 
demonstrate the perfect, unchangeable Divine Spark which enables 
everyone to live the true life, and we know that the vital part is to 
construct the needful environments, then, we may be sure that the 
‘corruptible must put on incprruption.’ Our movement is gathering 
and putting on record everything that happens and proves that it 
is not mistaken that the environments which elevate the physical, 
mental and spiritual conditions, are the most effective curative 
agencies demanded in the twentieth century. One of the latest that 
reached us is entitled: ‘Reclaiming Depraved Humanity.^ In the 
state prison of one of the states were four men, known as the 
‘demons.^ The press stated that they were depraved specimens of 
humanity, from whom all the qualities which distinguish man from 
the beast seemed to have departed. In prison they were subjected 
to the severest treatment. A new man, who was a student of crim- 
inology, was given charge of the prison, and he concluded to try an 
experiment on his depraved guests, and their regeneration was told 
as follows: ‘After a brief interview with the four, he gave secret 
directions to the guards who patrolled the corridor in which the 
‘demons’ ’ cage was located, to increase the quantity of their food 
and to give them victuals of a better quality than they had tasted 
in many years. Keep on bettering the food from time to time,’ 
the warden directed. ‘Give them a little more and a little better 
food from week to week. Do it gradually, and don’t let them know 
that they are going to receive any better treatment at our hands 
than ever. In a few weeks the demons began to show color. Red 
corpuscles entered their blood, and their hollow cheeks began to fill 
out. Their eyes lost the lustre of criminal insanity, and their 
weight increased. With the recurrence of health came a conscious- 
ness of strength and a desire to use human energy in normal chan- 
nels, and instead of regarding their close and solitary confinement 
Avith indifference and stoicism, they began to tire of it, and all 
four asked that they be put to work. Since that time the quon- 
dam demons have been the most docile and tractible beings. Now, 


— 272 — 


my kind listeners, I do not doubt that if you consider well this 
matter, you must become convinced, as we are, that if depraved 
humanity can be reclaimed by bettering the physical food, think 
of the wonderful mental and spiritual improvement when the prin- 
ciples of the Reconstructive Movement shall establish the en- 
vironments that will permanently feed with saving food the ‘true 
ego also ! ” As the lady took her seat a tumultuous applause arose in 
every part of the hall. When the president arose he appeared much 
affected and stated that he must own that the ideas expressed by 
the lady were the clearest and best he had ever heard. After a 
while he said: “Ladies and Gentlemen: I 'have the pleasure to 
introduce to you Mr. A. B., a worker whom I know you will like 
to hear.” As the sepaker advanced to the platform, and was pleas- 
antly greeted, he began: 

“Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: When I consider the 
noble act performed by this good young couple, it is difficult for 
me to express in words the thoughts that arise within me. What 
this excellent young couple have undertaken, is what is needed 
in this country to enlighten and guide the restless spirit of the 
people. This age demands facts, not empty words. Facts that 
will demonstrate that the people shall be free from bondages that 
have enslaved them in the past and threaten to be renewed in 
this good land. Dear friends, are not your hearts filled with ad- 
miration, love and respect toward this young man and woman, 
who have subdued the relentless masters which rule and crush the 
world; the relentless masters called ‘pride, selfishness and greed?’” 
He had hardly finished the sentence when every individual in the 
hall arose to t'heir feet and cried, loudly, “Yes! Yes!” and the 
clapping of hands and enthusiastic demonstrations continued till 
the young couple arose and thanked them. “Emotions of this 
kind,” continued the speaker, “produced by the realization of the 
good that has been accomplished, and the enormous amount of 
good that we can foresee in the future, are uplifting, and intensely 
penetrate into our souls! This great and unique country demands 
today more than ever, greater vigilance, for the immense concen- 
tration of capital overshadows the foundation of this great republic! 
And today, with stronger conviction than ever, we perceive the neces- 
sity of woman’s co-operation in order to succeed in directing this 
nation in the right line of progress. Women, if they refuse to eo- 


— 273 — 


operate, will be more guilty than men, because more than the men 
they are submitting to the absurd claims of the dark days. Claims 
of distinction in empty titles, and the whirl of fashions, and frivol- 
ities of the idle- class. There is a broader and higher culture within 
the reach of women today, and the development and increase of 
their energies, owing to the more responsible position they so ably, 
fulfill, demands of them to overcome the shams and fashionable 
follies, and allow me,” he said, turning to the young lady, ‘To point 
to you as the most remarkable example of the day, an example that 
will appeal to the noblest sentiments, latent so long in the souls of 
womankind.” Again a thundering applause arose, and for some 
time the president did not succeed in establishing order. Among- a 
number who had remained on their feet was a young man, who 
raised a piece of paper above his head and said: “Mr. President, 
here is an article written by a prominent French author, entitled 
‘The Modern World Uncivilized,’ which plainly explains that there 
will be no civilization until the present system is changed, and I 
am sure everybody Avill be glad to hear it.” “Please come for- 
ward,” said the officer, “I know no one will object, as we all hold 
the author in high esteem.” With a strong and sonorous voice the 
young man began : “We pride ourselves on our refinement, but we are 
not nearly reclaimed from barbarism. A hundred years hence our 
descendants will consider us and our institutions with the same 
contempt we vouchsafe to the people of the middle ages, or to 
the refractory Chinese of today. This is not a paradox. I am past 
juggling for an audience. Despite our self-satisfied bumptiousness, 
mankind is still piteously groping after real civilization, like a 
tangled mass of larvae, tumbling and crawling out of some dark, 
slimy cavern tow'ard the light that will give them wings. Only a 
few men have forged ahead and stand in the full sunshine of truth. 
An undeniable increase in material comfort and equipment must be 
. credited to the nineteenth century, but that alone does not constl' 
tute civilization. Better food, fast steamers, telephone and electric 
lights — all that is only the accessory part of human development, 
means to happiness, certainly, but not happiness. Has the tele- 
phone diminished the hunger of the hungry? Our brains are still 
'befogged, our private and public life is still based upon vile, exas- 
perating ignorance. Reason, row proclaimed by a hundred prophets 
in every country, has every .vhere the greatest trouble to pene- 


— 274 — 


trate through tlie thic'k folds of insane prejudices that enwrap indi- 
Aidiials and institutions. The evils we suffer from, and the evils 
each of us perpetrate, have no doubt been lessened in a measure, 
but it seems to me they have, for the most part, merely changed 
their aspects and theii’ names. There were times — not so many 
generations ago — when in every country men and women were tor- 
tured by inquisitors, religious or not. Now most countries, we 
think, have grown beyond that. But are not the newspapers filled 
with revolting eases of children tortured by their parents, of wives 
who are long-suffering martyrs, of students who find cruel delight 
in bull^Tiig some poor, ill-gifted companion? And do you know 
what frightful things take place, I will not say in Turkey or 
Siberia, but in the penitentiaries and insane asylums of the most 
advanced nations? There were times, to be sure, when political 
and religious fanaticism fettered all development, sought to extin- 
guish science, and burned the scientists at the stake. We are cer- 
tainly past that stage. Yet today Tolstoy is excommunicated by 
the Greek church. I was, before him, and so were Catholics and 
Protestants — Darwin, Huxley, Kenan, and most of the harbingers 
of tomorrow’s truth. Why, I have it direct from eminent American 
professors, that in most of the universities of the United States 
they would not dare express their real convictions on religion, polit- 
ical or economic questions, because their resignations would surely 
be demanded at once. It is the same in England and Germany. 
And in France Jean Jaures, one of the geniuses of the age, was 
recently refused a chair in the College de France to lecture upon 
Socialism. Your own admirable Henry George, if I remember' Avell, 
died a pauper, after having been jeered at his whole life long; and 
the lofty German apostle, Liebknecht, was an exile for years, 
hounded out of Germany, as Victor Hugo out of France. Yet, Avith 
Avhat contempt Ave regard t'hat historical council that compelled 
Galileo to kneel and say that the earth did not move. But, on the 
other hand, for such deAmstating forces of retrogradation as Bis- 
marck, Chamberlain and General Mercier, the Avorld seems at a loss 
to find adequate honors and adulations; even their most severe 
judges feel bound to temper their censure Avith admiring reserv^e. 
It is useless to delude ourselves. You may tinker all you please, 
there Avill be no true ciAulization until the present social system is 
modified. Have you not learned that there are, every day, thous- 


ands — not hundreds, but thousands — of men and women who die of 
want, of cold, of disease, unattended, and that, too, frequently nfter 
these miserables have given twenty, thirty, fifty years of t’heir labor 
to the making of all that we enjoy? Can you forget that children 
— little children as precious as yours — are this minute suffering 
famine and absorbing the germs of all vices? Can you forget that 
in every hospital, prison, factory, tenement, there are crimes that 
cry for vengeance to heaven? Ah! the sadness of it all! To think 
that throughout the length of the century just finished, great men 
have vainly cried these things, have pondered during long years 
of abnegation over these problems, and vainly pointed out the reme- 
dies. But they were mistrusted, misrepresented, and mocked by 
childish crowds, proud of their numbers. E. Z.” 

Having finished the reading, the young man quickly turned to 
the president and earnestly said: 

“I believe, Mr. President, that everyone present is anxious to 
hear our honored guest express his views concerning this matter.” 

The audience heartily expressed their approval, and the officer 
politely asked Mr. Ivanohe to address the assembly. For a while 
he stood silent before the audience, and slowly turning toward the 
president, very impressively addressed him as follows: 

''Mr. President: The real meaning of that article, 'The Modern 
World Uncivilized,’ is, that the great problem, the master problem, 
'How to live,’ is yet unsolved! How, and when, will the race be 
able to understand the great motto, 'Man, know thyself’ ? It can, 
and will, only be able when it will entirely absorb the modern idea 
that 'Mentality,’ true 'mentality’ alone, is the power of mankind, 
and to study it, is to study all things, and is the only way to learn 
how to live right, for from that center flows forth everything that 
every human being is and does, either good or evil. And that sub- 
ject, so vast anad momentous, demands a neAV motive power, which 
will propel and regulate and perfectly mould the public opinion. 
Hoav can the modern world be civilized when the present system 
appeals not to the highest mental faculties, but to the lowest men- 
tal propensities? We know that in every part of the world are, 
friends of the poor and oppressed. Here is an article written by 
one of these friends, who gave utterance to ideas that ought to be 
learned, and it certainly would help those who are misled by the 
low propensities to become free and save themselYes. and theix 


fellow beings. ‘Inventions/ he said, ‘have filled the Avorld with coin 
petitors, not only of laborers, but of mechanics. Today the ordi- 
nary laborer is, for the most part, a peg in a wheel. He works Avith 
the tireless — he feeds the insatiable. When the monster stops the 
man is out of employment — out of bread. He has not saved any- 
thing. The machine that he fed was not feeding him, Avas not 
working for him — the invention Avas not for his benefit.’ Can it be, 
under this competitive system, Mr. President and friends?” 

“Certainly not!” cried everyone. 

“The other day I heard a man read an article, and he kindly 
gave it to me, and Avith your permission I will read it. It may be 
nothing ncAV to you, but it is Avorth reading it again and again. The 
Avriter sayR: iwilt is almost impossible for thousands of good mechan- 
ics to get employment, and, in my judgment, the government oug]it 
to furnish Avork for the people. Recently a man \A^as trying to sell 
a patent for cutting out clothes, and one of the machines could do 
the AVork of tAventy tailors. Having succeeded in selling it to a 
great house in Ncav York, over forty cutters were discharged. On 
every side/ he said, ‘machines are invented and take the place of 
human labor. When the factory shuts doAvn, the Avorkers AAdio in- 
habited it, and gaA^e it life, as thoughts do the brain, go aAA'ay, and 
it stands there like an empty skull. A feAV workers, from force of 
habit, gather about the closed doors and broken AvindoAvs, and talk 
about distress, the price of food and the coming Avinter. They are 
conAunced that they haA^e not had their share of AAdiat their labor 
created. They feel certain that the machines inside AA^ere not their 
friends. They look at the mansion of the employer, and think of 
the places Avhere they live. They have saved nothing — nothing but 
themselves. Their employer seems to have enough. Even Avhen 
employers fail, Avhen they become bankrupt, they are far better off 
than the laborers ever Avere. Their worst is better than the toilers’ 
best. The capitalist comes forAvard with his specific. He teHs the 
Avorkingman that he must be economical! But, under the present 
system, economy Avould only lessen Avages. Under the great laAV 
of supply and demand, every saving, frugal, self-denying Avorkman 
is unconsciously doing Avhat little he can to reduce the compensation 
of himself and his felloAVS. The slaves Avho did not Avish to run 
aAvay helped fasten chains on those Avho did. So the saving me- 
chanic is a certificate that Avages are high enough. Does the great 


— 277 — 


law demand that every worker live on the least possible amount of 
bread? Is it his fate to work one day that he may get enough food 
to be able to work another? Is that to be his only hope — that and 
death? Capital has always claimed, and still claims, the right to 
combine. Manufacturers meet and determine prices, even in spite 
of the great law of supply and demand. Have the laborer^ the 
same right to consult and combine? The rich meet in the bank, 
the club house or parlor. Workingmen, when they combine, gather 
in the street. All the organized forces of society are against them.” 

‘‘Remove, destroy the system !” cried every member in the hall. 

“Capital has the army and the navy, the legislature, the judi- 
cial and executive departments. When the rich combine, it is for 
the purpose of exchanging ideas. When the poor cc /oi^e, it is a 
‘conspiracy.^ If they act in concert, if they really do something, 
it is a ‘mob.’ If they defend thmeselves it is ‘treason.’ How is it 
that the rich control the departments of government? In this 
country the political power is equally divided among men. There 
are certainly more poor than there are rich. Why should the rich 
control? Why should not the laborers combine for the purpose of 
controlling the executive, the legislative and judicial departments? 
Will they ever find how powerful they are?” 

“They certainly will!” exclaimed the audience. 

“ ‘How are we to settle the unequal contest between men and 
machines? Will the machines finally go into partnership with the 
laborers ? Can these forces of nature be controlled for the benefit 
of her suffering children? Will extravagance keep pace with in- 
genuity? Will the workmen become intelligent enough and strong 
enough to be owners of the machines? Will these giants, these 
Titans, shorten or lengthen the hours of labor? Will they give 
leisure to the industrious, or will they make the rich richer and the 
poor poorer? Is man intelligent enough to be generous, to be 
just?’ I will not repeat,” said Mr. Ivanohe, “what the writer ex- 
pressed comparing human beings to the animal and vegetable 
world. I do not believe he meant it, for he was too intelligent, and 
if he were living today he would certainly be one of our great re- 
formers. ‘In the days of slavery, the strong devoured the weak — 
actually ate their flesh — and in spite of all the laws that man lias 
made, in spite of all advances in science, the strong, the cunning, 
the heartless, still live on the weak, the unfortunate and foolish. 


— 278 — 


True, they do not eat their flesh or drink their blood, but they live 
on their labor, on their denial, their weariness and want. The poor, 
man who deforms himself by toil, who labors for wife and child 
through all his anxious, barren, wasted life, who goes to the grave 
without ever having had one luxury, has been the food of others. 
He has been devoured by his fellow men. The poor woman, living 
in the bare and lonely room, cheerless and fireless, sewing night and 
day to keep starvation from a child, is slowly being devoured by 
her fellow men. When I take into consideration the agony of civ- 
ilized life, the failures, the poverty, the anxiety, the tears, the 
withered hopes, the bitter realities, the hunger, the crime, the humil- 
iation, the shame, I am almost forced to say that cannibalism, after 
all, is the most merciful form in which man has ever lived upon 
his fellow man. It is impossible for a man with a good heart to 
be satisfied with this world as it is now. No man can truly enjoy 
even what he earns — what he knows to be his own — knowing that 
millions of his fellow men are in misery and want. When we. think 
of the famished, we feel it is almost heartless to eat. To meet the 
ragged and shivering makes one almost ashamed to be well dressed 
and warm — one feels as though his heart Avas as cold as their 
bodies. In the world filled with millions and millions of acres of 
land waiting to be tilled, and Avhere one man can raise the food for 
hundreds, millions are on the edge of famine. Who can compre- 
hend the stupidity at the bottom of this truth? Is there to be no 
change? Are the flaw of supply,’ invention and science, monopoly 
and competition, capital and legislation, always to be the enemies 
of those who toil? Will the workers always be ignorant enough 
and stupid enough to give their earnings for the useless? Will they 
support millions of soldiers to kill the sons of other workingmen? 
Will they always build temples for ghosts and phantoms, and live 
in huts and dens for themselves? Will the lips unstained by lies 
forever kiss the robed imposter’s hand? Will they understand that 
beggars cannot be generous, and that every healthy man must have 
the right to earn the right to live? Will they finally say that the 
man Avho has had equal privileges Avith others, has no right to com- 
plain, or Avill they folloAV the example that has been set by. their 
oppressors? Will they learn that force, to succeed, must have 
thought behind it, and that thought must rest upon the corner 
stone of justice?’ Mr. President, I must repeat again, that if that 


— 279 — 


gentleman were alive today, having perceived and described the 
present social condition so clearly, that he could not resist the 
prompting of his conscience to become a strong co-worker in the 
Keconstructive Movement. The centralization of money power has 
certainly never been realized before in the history of the world, 
and what does it mean? It means unmercifully fleecing the people 
right and left. And by such profuse bleeding, is it any wonder that 
the people are crippled?” 

■ “Mr. Speaker,” cried aloud one of the members, “if that gentle- 
man were alive today — if Mr. Ingersoll were alive today, I feel posi- 
tive he would join no other but the Destructive Movement. Would 
it not be better for every living, being if the present system were 
completely destroyed ?” 

“No, sir,” calmly answered Mr. Ivanohe, “not violently de- 
stroyed, but wisely reconstructed, and unless we apply this saving 
principle, all the elements will become unloosed, and the human 
strifes will reach a point that can only be compared to the destruc- 
tive and tremendous uproar of nature. And, thank heaven, in the 
twentieth century appears a power to support the great reform 
movement which no destroying army can be compared to, and this 
power is the twentieth century true reform women. It may not be 
new to you to hear what Mrs. F. W., president of the N. W. Ch. 
T. IJ., declared in an address before a national convention in behalf 
of this great reform. It is as follows: ‘Look about you; the pro- 
ducts of labor are on every hand; you could not maintain for a 
moment a well ordered life without them; every object in your room 
has in it, for discerning eyes, the mark of ingenuous tools, and the 
pressure of labor’s hands. But is it not the crudest injustice for 
the wealthy, whose lives are surrounded and embellished by labor’s 
Avork, to have a superabundance of the money which represents the 
aggregate of labor in any country, Avhile the laborer himself is kept 
so steadily at work that he has no time to acquire the education 
and refinements of life? The reason Avhy I am a reformer comes 
in just here. I would take, not by force, but by the sIoav process of 
lawful acquisition through better legislation, as the outcome of a 
wiser ballot in the hands of men and women, the entire plant that 
we call civilization, all that has been achieved on this continent in 
the four hundred years since Columbus Avended his Avay hither, and 
make it the common property of all the people, requiring all to 


— 280 — 


work enough witli their liands to give them the finest physical de- 
velopment, but not to become burdensome in any case, and permit- 
ting all to share alike the advantages of education and refinement. 
I believe t'his to be so perfectly practicable, indeed, that any other 
method is simply a relic of barbarism. I believe that competition 
is doomed. The trusts, whose single object is to abolish competi- 
tion, have proved that we are better without than with it, and the 
moment that a corporation controls the supply of any product, they 
combine. What this great reform desires is, that the corpora- 
tion of humanity should control all productions. Beloved comrades, 
this is the frictionless way. It is the higher way; it eliminates the 
motives for a selfish life; it en^icts into our every day living the 
ethics of Christ’s gospel; nothing else can bring the glad day of 
universal brotherhood.’ Now, Mr. President, I will repeat again, 
that women have it in their power to place the world on a very 
high plane, and it is but ignorance which is keeping them and the 
world in bondage.” 

As he took his seat he was greatly applauded and the meeting 
adjourned. 


— 281 — 


CHAPTER XIX. 

As t'he news l€ept spreading that the Russian gentleman and 
his wife were determined to devote their whole lives in order to 
help to bring a radical change by reconstructing the whole social 
system, it attracted the attention and aroused a great curiosity 
among all the people in the country. In one of the large cities, a 
conference representing every labor and trade union, was held, and 
every member was notified to be present at a meeting to be held 
where a message was to be given by t'he head of the Reconstructive 
Movement and his wife. So great was the interest aroused among 
the working people, that the members of the arranging committee 
became aware that no hall was sufficiently large to accommodate 
the numerous assembly, and it was decided to have a large tent 
erected for that important purpose. When the evening arrived 
everybody was astonished at the sight of the enormous mass of 
people. Fortunately, where the tent stood, there was ample room, 
and the tent was arranged so that those who were compelled to 
remain outside would have at least a chance to see and hear the 
^ young orators. At the appointed hour the young couple appeared 
on the platform, which was handsomely decorated with white and 
pink roses. As the presiding officer introduced them, the welcome 
they received was a most enthusiastic demonstration. After ad- 
dressing the president and the ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Ivanohe 
began : 

“I consider this opportunity to attend such a large gathering 
of reformers as a great privilege, for there is an imnfense power in 
a combination and unity of thoughts, good, 'high thoughts, which 
will, in spite of all opposition, flow into an enormous well of a 
mighty stream of such ideas that the human race is capable to 
conceive. We cannot help but admit that we live in a remarkable 
age. Is it not plain to every intelligent person that What really 
rules the world are ideas? When the public mind was fllled with 
the idea that at the head of their government an individual, bear- 
ing a crown and sceptre, was their ruler and mas.ter, they were 


— 282 — 


ready to bow to the gi'ound and become the most abjective sub- 
jects, no matter how cruel and tyrranical the ruler, and how great 
their deprivations and sufferings. You know what the world has 
witnessed when some leaders, whose ideas became strong that the 
wrongs which were annihilating the helpless people must be re- 
moved, how they began to spread the saving ideas, and in time the 
weak and nearly crushed human beings, stimulaj^ed and strengthened 
by the powerful ideas, set the rulers to flee from the thrones? Of 
course we know that the minds of the oppressed were not suffi- 
ciently enlightened to carry on fully the ideas and establish the 
needed reforms; we know that the obstacles were almost insur- 
mountable, the unjust laws, the dreadful moral situation of society, 
the corrupted civil and political institutions, the extravagant cos- 
tumes, we know that the complication of evils was so great that 
many of those who presented the saving ideas fell victims and mar- 
tyrs for the sake of humanity. 

“You, oh, you fortunate American people, you who have the 
right to be the real sovereigns, you must demonstrate the sublime 
ideas of the tria , the real, and not the superficial human indepen- 
dence and liberty, so it Avill call for the admiration and respect of 
the whole world and become their living example! I have learned 
that these saving ideas need in this country a great renovation. I 
do not mean the ideas, but the people’s minds must be renovated, 
and for theirs and their country’s great benefit these ideas, defined 
in the dictionaries and by world-famous men concerning the princi- 
ples of the Reconstructive Movement, must be constantly held be- 
|fore the people’s minds, and then we may be sure that the tweii • 
tieth century new system will soon be established. I will repeat 
some of them, for they are so good that we can never get tired, for 
they always *seem new : 

“ ‘The ethics of this principle are identical with the efliics of 
Christianity.’ — E. B. 

“ ‘The abolition of that individual action on which modern 
societies depend, and the substitution of a regulated systeTn of co- 
operative action.’ — I. D. 

“ ‘A theory of society that advocates a more precise, orderly 
and harmonious arrangement of the social relations of mankind 
than that which has hitherto prevailed.’ — W. 

“ ‘A science of reconstructing society on an entirely new basis 


— 283 — 


by substituting the principle of association for that of competition 
in every branch of industry/ — W. D. 

“ ‘Any theory or system of local organization which would abol- 
ish entirely, or in greater part, the individual effort and competition 
on which modern society rests, and substitute co-operation, would 
introduce a more perfect and equal distribution of the products of 
labor, and would make land and capital, as the instruments of pro- 
duction, the joint possession of the community/ — C. D. 

“ ‘A theory of policy that aims to secure the reconstruction of 
society, increase of wealth, and a more equal distribution of the 
products of labor through the public collective oAvnership of labor 
and capital (as distinguished from property) and the public collec- 
tive management of all industries; its motto is, ‘Every one accord- 
ing to his deeds/ ’ — St. D. 

“ ‘The deepest depth of vulgarism is that of setting up money 
as the ark of the covenant.’ — Th. C. 

“ ‘The citizens of a large union, industrially organized,, have 
reached their happiness Avhen the producing, distributing and other 
activities are such that each citizen linds in them a place for all his 
energies and aptitudes, while he obtains the means of satisfying all 
his desires.’ — H. L. 

“ ‘No thinking man will contradict that associated industry is 
the most powerful agent of production, and that the principles of 
association are susceptible to further and beneficial development.’ 
— J. S. M. 

“ ‘Government and co-operation are in all things and eternally 
the laAvs of life. Anarchy and competition, eternally and in all 
things the laAvs of death.’ — J. R. 

“Noav, you see, my good friends, if every man and woman 
studies carefully the present social conditions, and set their 
minds at Avork, AUA^yfying and demonstrating the great ideals ex- 
pressed by the deepest thinkers, then Avill the aspirations of eA^ery 
being be verified, for every human being Avill then reach moral, 
mental and physical perfection, and no longer will exist the dread- 
ful conditions as described in the folloAving poem by Josephine 
Conger, entitled: 


— 284 — 


OUR REAL WORTH. 

Do you know what the mills are doing? 

They are grinding us into gold; 

Men and women and children 
For barter are being sold. 

In the South are a thousand children 
Who will mint ten thousand pounds; 

Pretty good profit in babies — 

Pity they die of their wounds. 

In the West are ten thousand workmen 
Who dig up a million strong — 

Splendid property, miners 

Too bad they can’t last long. 

In the East are scores of women, 

Who make most beautiful clothes; 

But somehow they drop in their noontide, 

And die of starvation and woes. 

But what if the men and the women 
And the children die by the score? 

For every place there are dozens who wait, 

And following these are more. 

We to ourselves are as nothing. 

But the wizards can make of us gold; 

So men and women and children, 

For barter are being sold. 

Great God! must this go on forever? 

Must this stream ever go through the mill? 
Will the mills never tire of their grinding? 

Nor the wizards e’er get their fill? 

The decision lies with the people; 

They may rise as a man, if they will. 

And say that the mills must cease gorging 
And that wizards have had their fill. 


- 285 — 


“Working people of America! remember that thinking people 
of other countries perceive the causes that produce the threatening 
effects in your country, and they do not hesitate to call your atten- 
tion to it. Watch carefully the attitude of the press of your coun- 
try. Try your very best to remove the veil or state of mind which 
hides the mental deformity, caused by the new aristocracy of 
money, which separates more and more the owners from the toil- 
ers, the real producers of all wealth. From their fine mansions 
they look down with contempt upon the worthy beings whose skill 
and energy beautify the world. I do not like to mention some ugly 
things of the past, but whoever reads history may look with appre- 
hension concerning the changes that are taking place in this great 
republic. History will recall to the readers’ minds, and warn them, 
for they will be informed of the monstrous feudal epoch, the abuses 
and violences committed by the inhuman inhabitants of the castles, 
who Avith impunity strangled the well being and liberty of the peo- 
ple! Your attention is called to the fact, which certainly causes 
great apprehension, that the Avomen of the Avealthy class are no- 
longer satisfied to employ their native Avorkers, but send to Europe v 
and frequently the cost of a single garment represents more than 
the salary of a capable and scientifically educated engineer or chem- 
ist for the AA^hole year. Think and consider AA^ell hoAV others see 
you. They Avarn you for they can see, perhaps more clearly, Avhat 
the results Avill be. They tell you how the man Avho can spend one 
hundred thousand dollars a year in maintaining a yacht, feels a 
sense of aloofness from the producers of everything they possess. 
That their daughters, to feed the sense of aloofness, are not satis- 
fied Avith AA^ealth alone, but marry titled foreigners; and their 
sons, Avhen educated abroad, become un-American in their ideas, 
and drop all sympathy Avith the mass of American citizens. The 
grave danger today is the destruction of the spirit of independence, 
unless you Avorking people, AAdio are the majority, use the ballot 
patriotically, Avhich is the poAA^erful and bloodless Aveapon placed, as 
American citizens, in your honest hands. A patriotic AmericaTi,. 
cultured and very intelligent, Mr. W. J. Stillman avIio had been 
an intimate friend of Emerson, said before he died, that he fore- 
saAV greater trials for the United States and its people, than any 
other nation had undergone. He trembled for his country, but had 
hope that it Avould emerge triumphant in the end. Oh, you Avorkers, 


— 286 — 


for the good of the down-trodden, appreciate now, more than ever, 
the indepemlpiit spirit of your nation! Listen to what llev. M. d. 
Savage said: ‘Men work too much, they work too hard. What do. 
I mean? I mean that the man who is compelled to toil the most of 
his waking hours, merely for the means of subsistence, cannot live 
a high human life. He has no leisure for thought, no time to culti- 
vate his mind, little time to cultivate the affectionate side of 
nature, little time to question as to whether he has a soul, little 
time to think of tlie Father in Heaven or the kind of life he should 
lead as a spiritual being, a son of God. This grinding, continuous 
toil means barbarism, a hard, squalid, hopeless kind of barbarism, 
and this is why I have always been in favor of shortening the hours 
of labor just as far and just as fast as it could practically be brought 
about. And much more can be done in this direction than has 
already been accomplished! If all the world were wise, if all the 
peoj)le were willing to carry their share of the burden, if none 
shirked, if none attempted to place upon other shoulders more 
than they ought to carry, the world’s work would be accomplished 
5n three or four hours a day, and all the rest of the time be free. 
Free for what? Pure idleness? Why, I would be in favor of it 
if it were nothing more than that, because there is no more virtue 
in work than there is in play or rest, if you consider them apart, 
by themselves. And why should people not rest and play and sing 
and be happy if they can? The world works too much, and there 
is no possibility of the higher, finer civilization except in relief from 
this toil. There was no art, no literature, no music, none of these 
higher and finer things of human life until some men earned re- 
lease from what we call common drudgery, and were able to dream, 
able to think, able to feel, to create these nobler, sweeter, more 
human, more divine things, than mere bread and houses and lands 
and horses and carriages, and the material accumulation of what 
we call civilized life. The world works too much. The poor man 
because he has to, and the rich man because he will; and a large 
part of this labor goes for what? For bread, for houses, for horses 
and carriages, for all the material, the lower side of life. Men 
must stop this eternal grind and care,' and learn that they are men, 
that thinking and feeling and loving and hoping and admiring and 
enjoying are infinitely more important than the common and lower 
things that make up so much of common existence.’ My good aqd 


- 287 — 


dear friends, do you think that when the people shall grasp these 
good, saving ideas, that they will oppose a system that will turn 
this grinding condition into a finer and higher civilization? Will 
any sensible being be opposed to the Reconstructive system, under 
which there will be no inducement for corruption of any kind, but 
sincere effort to promote the welfare of the whole people? When 
women shall understand these ideas will they not become the most 
enthusiastic supporters of it, when they become convinced that with 
the collective use of machinery nine-tenths of their burdensome 
toil will be saved, and they will no longer be drudges, and the ser- 
vant girl question will be a thing of the past? Will they be opposed 
to this new system, which will give to everyone the proper chance 
to develop their talents? Will they be opposed to the great sys- 
tem which recognizes that the children of today will be the future 
men and women and that the best environments will be prepared 
for them, so as to fit them for their stations in life? Should not 
the farmers, as well as the other toilers, join this movement that 
will make their lives as pleasant as that of any other eitizen? If 
there is any man or woman who opposes or is indifferent regarding 
this great work, it is simply because they do not understand it, 
and it is therefore our duty to spread these ideas, not occasionally 
or spasmodically, but daily and persistently, then the sweet prom- 
ise that every human being shall come in possession of their natural 
inheritance will be verified, and we shall not only spread them, 
but put them into daily practice, and then we shall all see them 
grow with wonderful rapidity.” 

A tremendous applause arose as the speaker took his seat, imd 
as the young wife stepped forward in the twinkling of an eye all 
commotion ceased. She stood a moment facing the audience in 
silence, and then said: 

‘‘Ladies and Gentlemen: I feel like repeating what the great 
Italian patriot, Joseph Mazzini, said: ‘To what purpose do you 
profess to believe in that unity of the human race which is the 
necessary consequence of the unity of God, if you do not strive to 
verify it by destroying the arbitrary divisions and enmities that 
still separate the different tribes of humanity? Why do we talk 
of fraternity while we allow any of our brethren to be trampled 
on, degraded or despised? The earth is our work-shop. We must 
not curse it, we are bound to sanctify it. We must strive to make 


of Iniiiianity one single family.’ I do hope and pray that everyoi^e 
present will be willing to do his and her share to help to establish 
the new and important system. I think that you ail understand 
that liberty and happiness, for which the human soul has always 
craved, cannot be attained until we overcome, in a scientific vv^ay, 
every obstacle which prevents our reaching that high point which 
can only be reached by the unfoldment of the higher faculties 
Our strong desire to improve the social conditions must be nourished 
and strengthened, for ‘desire’ is recognized as the onward impetus, 
without which everything becomes stagnant. We must all study 
the situation carefully, upon all sides; we must fill our minds with 
the sublime ideas, and then carry them out in thoughts, words 
and deeds. When our minds accept these ideas as well founded 
truths, the process of Reconstruction must begin. We all feel that 
in a world whose Creator has filled it with limitless abundance, 
and poverty prevails, there is something very wrong. When 
we acquire the correct understanding of the sentence, ‘Seek ye first 
the kingdom of Cod, and its righteousness, and all else shall be 
added unto you,’ we will be ready to realize the blessings {that 
result, by loving our neighbors as ourselves, and how limitless 
our ideas will broaden, and the world will be transformed, and all 
its inhabitants will enjoy what they are entitled to — peace and 
unfailing prosperity and happiness. We know that ideas are catch- 
ing, and no person can live where high and true ideas are held 
without being affected by them. Read the history of the Huguenots, 
how, by the power of the new ideas, coarse plays, extravagance in 
dress and license in living, quarrels and scandals had almost wholly 
passed away, and the very countenances of the people were 
changed. How the coarse lines of sensuality had been swept away, 
and from every face shown only benevolence and truth. The pres- 
ent wrong ideas of grasping all we can for ‘me and mine’ has filled 
the world with all the horrors of misery and want. Ambition and 
selfishness have been the weapons . always ready to destroy the 
true sense of life, and have created the social conditions which de- 
mand a complete Reconstruction. The Reconstructive system will 
enable mankind to understand their relation to each other, and the 
right everyone has to the natural resources upon which human 
existence depends, and when the people fully realize that they can- 
not control what belongs to every living being without suffering 


' — 280 — 


themselves, we shall no longer see the human race divided into 
classes. Ladies, I wish to appeal to you, and every other thinking 
woman, to use your powerful influence for the amelioration of 
the present’ state of human conditions. Remember the dreadful 
statement made by the press, ‘That the woman is a vampire. That 
woman has caused more heartaches and ruined more families than 
anyone who ever lived, and that if the public wants to know some- 
thing about the modern vampire, they must study the divorce court 
records.^ Women are at present more responsible than ever, if the 
rapid march of the destroying system of monopoly is not checked, 
they are told, and that they are the ones who are preparing the 
way and will make the great possessors of capital renew the claim 
that they are such by divine right, as did the tyrannical monarchs. 
Never before has the world’s attention been called in regard to 
women’s doings as it is today. I am very sorry to have to admit 
that what is thrown so furiously in the faces of the capitalists is 
not exaggerated. And who was, and is, the main supporter of those 
injurious, morally destroying conditions? The world has always 
been reminded that it is woman! In one of the books written b,y 
a prominent author you can read ‘That the extravagant luxury of 
the ancient world, and of the middle ages, had the modesty to limit 
its display to a comparatively small circle. But that nowadays the 
insolent parade of the wealthy is not confined to the ball rooms 
and banquet halls of their set, but flaunts along the streets. That 
the places where their aggressive luxury is most prominently dis- 
played are the promenades of the large cities,, and their carriages 
drive along the streets splashing mud on the bare -footed, hungry 
croAvd, and their diamonds — of course, the Avomen’s diamonds — 
neA^er seem to sparkle Avith such brilliancy as Avhen they are daz- 
zling the eyes of the poor. That their extravagance loves to haA-e 
journalism as a spectator, and delights to send descriptions of its 
luxury by the columns of the papers, into circles Avhich otherAvise 
Avould have no opportunity to obserA^e the life-long carnival of the 
rich.’ The press also reported the doings of the Avives of American 
army and navy officers abroad, as having their little, all-important 
‘set’ in their eyes as the cream of aristocracy, and that this arro- 
gant set Avould not include any other AA^oman of a less aristocratic 
position, any wolnan Avhose money A\"as the result of her oaa'u hon- 
orable labor. Those AAwldly, narroAV-minded, proud Avomen Avere 


- 290 — 


reported as having refused to condescend to recognize a woman of 
great ability, who did her work well as a correspondent of Amer- 
ican newspapers, and had won the esteem and respect of everyone 
who knew her. That honorable woman was universally liked, ex- 
cept by the proud women who drew the social line to crush and os- 
tracize a working woman. To show how the crushing evil of class 
division is sustained, as a rule, by women more than by men, it 
was reported that the working woman who had been humiliated, 
was honored by a ‘great’ man, when the wrong act of the wives of 
his subordinate officers reached his ears, and he demonstrated the 
wise and tender heart of a gentleman of the old school. My good 
friends, the greatest need in human society today is that women’s 
minds and hearts conceive and give birth to the sublime modern 
scientific ideas, to abolish the lines which divide the human family 
into classes, and the accurhulation of wealth, upon which the former 
wrong is founded, for they must certainly know that the dominant 
element of oppression today is the idea of acquisition of money, and 
the world groans today under this meiciless tyrant. Th^ first 
step, I hope you agree with me, to free humanity of this crushing 
giant, is that women absolutely refuse to accept its offers, and 
they will, when they become truly conscious that every living 
being has the same rights and privileges, as a child of the living God, 
they will refuse to live in palaces while their fellow beings live in 
hovels, they will refuse all kinds of luxuries, while the great 
masses are continually struggling to obtain a mere existence, and 
they will no longer be the negative creatures of the past, 'but will 
become the positive and guiding beacon star, the hope and light of 
the world. From every student of this great reform we receive 
strong and true ideas, and from all sides we hear that to reach the 
two extremes of society, wealth, which demoralizes, and poverty, 
which debases, the help of women is needed to redeem mankind, 
and they feel convinced that their spiritual intuition will fit them 
to refine and lead the human family to the land of righteousness. 
They assert that they have already given a great proof of their 
ability, wisdom and keenness of mental perceptions. They are no 
longer confined to the narrow sphere of the past; their activity is 
surprising. Think of their organizations, unions, orders, clubs, 
councils, parliaments — their work reaches an extension that aston- 
ishes the world. 


— 291 — 


“Now, you worthy and industrious working people, do you 
think anyone can remain indifferent and not honor and respect 
labor, when they consider that without it there could have been no 
inventions nor discoveries, that nothing can appear in the world 
without labor? ‘Could locomotives, steamships, mowing and har- 
vesting machines, telegraphs, telephones, ocean cables, sewing ma- 
chines, in fact, all the improvements, which are almost endless, 
could they have been introduced into the world without the enor- 
mous application of human labor?” 

“No! No!” cried the audience. 

“And has human labor, that great procurer of comfort, ever 
received its due recompense?” 

“Never! Never! But it will soon receive it, und<»r the new 
system!” cried the audience again. 

“Yes, dear friends, you are right, but let us not forget for a mo- 
ment that we must remove the causes, so that the effects will be com- 
pelled to disappear. Illiteracy, we are told, is on the increase, and can 
we expect that this neglected rising generation can fill the important 
position of free citizens? The Reconstructive system will furnish 
to every child — the future citizen — every advantage of development, 
and not compel them, as they are now, to crowd into the industrial 
field. Never in the history of the world has the useful worthy class, 
the working class, realized its dignity as it does today, and it has 
been warned by the earnest and true patriot, Abraham Lincoln, in 
his message to congress, that labor must be placed above capital. 
T bid the laboring people,’ he said, To beware of surrendering a 
power which they already possess, and which, if surrendered, will 
surely be used to close the door of advancement to such as thej^ 
and fix new disabilities and burdens upon them until all liberty 
shall be lost.’ What class of people laid the foundation and erected 
the supurb structure of this land of the free? Was it the idle, the 
despotic class? No! The working, the toiling class. Did the ma- 
jority of the Americans uphold the ideas of kings, rulers and super- 
iors? Certainly not, for where there are kings, rulers and superiors, 
there is slavery. The exercise of the sovereign power the founders 
of this blessed nation vested in the people ^t large, and only under 
such conditions were they able to extend a brotherly welcome to the 
oppressed and slaves of other nations. True liberty and progress 
are threatened today because capital is rapidly concentrating in 


- 292 — 


the hands of those who use it to close the door of advancement, and 
beware, oh, working people, of surrendering your God-given rights! 
The Reconstructive Movement, which is to prevent the downfall of 
this great nation, has taken, and is taking, hold of every means 
through which to arouse enthusiasm and lead the minds of the peo- 
ple where they can fully perceive what is required of them in order 
to tear down instead of cringe and crawl before the modern idol, 
the stultifying mammon. I would like to relate to you the great 
amount of good work which is being performed by one of our mem- 
bers, a Swiss lady, who is endowed with the extraordinary gift of 
detecting, at first sight, human character and disposition. You 
would be astonished to hear the large number of talented people 
whom she removed from conditions that were unfit for them, and 
placed them where they had the best opportunities to cultivate nnd 
develop their good qualities. This good lady is so thoroughly con- 
vinced that enthusiasm, fervor and courage can be aroused through 
the exercise of the finer talents of the human mind, that her entire 
life and means are devoted to discovering and utilizing them for 
the promotion of this great reform movement. We notified h-^r that 
you had kindly invited us to attend this large meeting, and she 
asked us if we agreed with her, that on an occasion like this, elocu- 
tion, song and music would be very acceptable, and she recommended 
two young ladies and a young gentleman, and with your permission, 
Mr. President, I will ask them to come forward.” 

Pretty soon the three young persons appeared and the lady 
speaker said: 

“As we are all lovers of liberty, we will ask the gentleman to 
recite Ingersoll’s ^Apostrophe to Liberty.’ ” 

The appearance of the young man was very impressive; he 
began : 

“O, LibertjG Thou art the God of my idolatry. 

“Thou are the only deity that hates the bended knee. 

“In thy vast and unwalled temple, beneath the roofless dome, 
star-gemmed and luminous with suns, thy worshippers stand erect. 
They do not cringe or crawl or bend their foreheads to the earth. 
The dust has never borne the impress of their lips. Upon thy altars 
mothers do not sacrifice their babes, nor men their rights. Thou 


— 293 — 


askest, naught from .man except the things that good men hate— 
the whip, the chain, the dungeon key. 

“Thou hast no popes, no priests, who stand between their fel- 
low men and thee. Thou carest not for slavish forms, or selfish 
prayers. Thou hast no monks, no nuns, who, in the name of duty, 
murder joy. At thy sacred shrine hypocrisy does not bow, fear does 
not crouch, virtue does not tremble, superstition’s feeble tapers do 
not burn, but reason holds aloft her inextinguishable torch, while 
on the ever-broadening brow of science falls the ever- coming morning 
of the ever-better day.” 

A 

The impressive tone of his voice, his bright and inspiring coun- 
tenance, his effective gestures, seemed to bring into visibility and 
convey into his hearers’ souls the deep meaning of that modem 
‘Apostrophe to Liberty,’ and his hearers gave way to an almost fren- 
zied applause, and it continued until he again stepped forward and 
began to recite: 

‘‘WHEN THE WORLD IS FREE ” 

By J. A. Edgerton. 

Across the future shines the golden age 
Of brotherhood. A neAV humanity. 

Foretold .by poet, prophet, saint and sage. 

AVill Avork together — AAdien the world is free. 

Then science and religion Avill join hands. 

And folloAV nature to divinity; 

Then strife Avill cease betAA^een united lands, 

And peace Avill prosper — AA^hen the AAmrld is free. 

Then those Avho toil shall be the ones Avho OAvn; 

The slave no longer then Avill bend the knee. 

Tlie king Avill then be driA^en from his throne. 

The people regnant — Avhen the AAmrld is free. 

Then greed and poA^erty Avill pass aAvay, 

And all Avill share a true prosperity. 

The god of mammon, Avith his feet of clay, 

^Vill be demolished — AAdien the AAmrld is free. 


— 294 — 


Then will be little law — the Golden Rule 
Will be enthroned — the law of equity. 

The priest will vanish, with his creed and school, 
And truth will flourish— when the world is Iree. 

There will be happy homes, and happy men, 

And happy women, raised from slavery; 

And happy children. All the dark has been 
Will be forgotten — when the world is free. 

O, when the world is free! Transcendent time! 

The golden age of dream! The years to be! 
From better unto better, men will climb 

Unto the highest — when the world is free. 


When he finished the whole assembly arose to their feet, and 
with an intense feeling they all exclaimed: 

‘‘We shall! We shall make it free!” 

When the president finally obtained silence, the lady pianist 
took her seat and the singer, who had selected a song from the 
“New Century Song Book,” entitled, “The Trust-Owning Nation,” 
began to sing, now in exulting tones, now tenderly soft, and again 
in exalting, happy, trumpet blast, the audience sat quivering and 
charmed. It appeared a most sublime and solemn moment, 'the 
song was as follows: 

Oh! sweet are my dreams of the new coming nation. 

Which ]>rophets foretold should be born in a day. 

The stars of the morning which sang at creation, 

AA'ill sing a new song with its first golden ray. 

Then peace, like a river, will flow through the valley, 

And sorrow no longer wage-worker enthrall; 

Grand armies of labor, united, will rally. 

Working all for each other, and each one for all. 

CHORUS. 

The trust-owning nation, the Golden Rule nation. 

The whole people^s nation, wifh each one for all. 


— 2 {) 5 — 


The commercial wars of the old time are waning; 

The turmoil of trade, with its tumult, will cease; 

The unions of labor brave battles are gaining, 

The day dawn is coming on dove wings of peace. 

Tlie kingdom of heaven, long prayed for, is nearing. 

True friends of the Master, give heed to its call; 

Tlie homeless, poor outcast, this message is hearing: 

‘All work for each other, and each one for all.’ 

CHORUS. 

The trust-owning nation, the Golden Rule natifji, 

The whole people’s nation, with each one for all. 

Then hail! the glad time when Old Wrong shall surrender. 

The black flag of greed shall forever be furled; 

Then justice shall reign, and Avith truth to defend her. 

The white robe of peace will encircle the world. 

That new time will come when we mark well our motto: 

‘United we stand, but divided we fall.’ 

Since all men are brothers, most surely we ought to 
All work for each other, and each one for all. 

CHORUS. 

The trust-owning nation, the Golden Rule nation, 

The whole people’s nation, Avith each one for all. 


W hen the singing and music ceased all faces looked as if beam- 
ing Avith joy and enthusiasm, and the fervent applause greatly 
affected ]Mr. Ivanohe’s heart. He arose, and, after addressing tiie 
president, Avith a strong impression, he said the folloAving to the 
audience : 

“May your approbation of these great ideas be established ia 
your minds forever, and AAhen vividly energized by perfect knowl- 
edge, the results for the rencAA^al of the social, political, religious 
and industrial conditions Avill be phenomenal! I Avill repeat Avhat 
a great orator said, ‘That this is an infallible, fundamental truth, 
let an idea once get afloat in the AAwld, and it cannot be annihilat(‘d. 
and you can shoot doASUi a battalion of soldiers, but you (‘anno? 
shoot an idea.’ My good friends, let us neA^er forget that notliiug 


— 296 — 


but great ideas must precede, in order to be followed by great 
actions. The main question now before the world is to transfcu?n 
the capitalists’ ideas into the sublime Reconstructive ideas, and 
the more minds we succeed in enlightening with these saving ideas, 
the quicker we shall l ave the co-operative commonwealth, and ouv^ 
of the most important steps is the control of the political power 
by the Reconstructive reformers’ minds, and now, we heartily thank 
you for your kind attention.” • 

The next day the young couple arose early, and the first thing 
that attracted their attention when entering the sitting room, 
were two notes on the table addressed in large letters to Mr.- I. K. 
He opened and read them aloud. The first letter contained an invi- 
tation to him to attend a large conference of a fraternal order, and 
the second was an invitation to his wife to speak before a large 
convention of women’s clubs. The dates suited them perfectly, as 
it gave them time to provide everything necessary for such impor- 
tant undertakings. The meetings were to be held on the 'same 
evening. At the appointed hour Mrs. K. appeared at the large hall. In 
a most cordial manner she was welcomed, and as she was inlio- 
duced the presiding officer explained to her how the majority of f he 
members of the clubs had unceasingly demanded to beg lier to ap- 
pear before them and explain her views concerning the present social 
conditions. They were extremely glad that the lady who had 
aroused such a great interest in the whole country had accepted the 
invitation, and offered her the since rest thanks. 

‘Tt is my turn,” said Mrs. K., ‘‘to extend to you all my thanks, 
for I consider this a very important sign of the present times, when 
women are interested in the great social evolution. We can feel, 
and we can see, the unmistakable signs that the twentieth century 
demands the help of women, the sfncere lovers of freedom, of prog- 
ress, which means to recue from darkness, from want and suffer- 
ing the precious human family. With the opening of the twentieth 
century the thinking Avomen are marching in the direction outlined 
to them by those who first understood that the civilization of any 
country appears in accordance Avith the position occupied by the 
women. Tiiose a\ ho first understood this great fact in this country had 
to (hmioiish AAdiat, for more tlian half a century, seemed insurmounta- 
ble barriers, Avliieh had been created by the opposite sex. Had they done 
it intentionally, Avith evil motives? Xo! They kneAV no better, and 


—297 


would probably have never known, had not the gross injustices been 
exposed, in the strongest light, by the Avomen! AVoman’s natural 
independence Avas not admitted; she Avas deprived of CA^ery thing* 
that Avas needed for her physical, mental and spiritual dcA^elopment, 
and men did not realize that to stagnate those poAvers in Avomen 
meant to stagnate the best qualities in the human race. I am in- 
formed that the members of these many clubs are interested in cA^ery 
line that brings the most useful information in litearture, art, 
music, etc., and are gaining minute details, and are searching for 
more and more information. And Iioav necessary it is, the social 
conditions being strcAvn Avith so many distortions, that Avomen culti- 
vate the higher thoughts! You knoAV AAdiat Prof. B. stated, that 
‘A thought Avorld is the only knoAvable Avorld; and a thought Avorld 
is the only real Avorld.’ I say that Avomen’s help is 
needed, because the Avrong tendencies created by that poAA^er Avhich 
has ahvays been recognized as the ‘root of all evil’— the money 
poAver — is the greatest impediment to human progress. You know 
that, again and again, our attention is called to the sad fact that 
under the present system the home, among the poor, is a travesty. 
The mothers are compelled to Avork on account of the fathers’ en- 
forced idleness, and Ioav wages, and the children come into tl’c 
AA^orld physically and morally feeble. WeAvomenin this free country, 
Avho have more freedom than the AVomen in other countries, if wc 
do not listen and are not Avilling to help to solve tlie great problems 
of the day, Ave, more than men, shall be responsible for the increase 
of the Avrongs that spread to make one shudder! Poverty and ex 
cessiA’^e toil are recognized as the cause of crimes and destroying 
vices, and especially the poverty and oveiAvork of AA^omen ancj 'Chil- 
dren. What most fearfully affects my soul is the thought that the 
destroying money poAA^er is upheld by AVomen. What do you sup- 
pose men Avould do with the enormous piles of money, if Avomen 
AA’Cre to conscientiously refuse to share the ill- acquired AA^ealth ? 
Could a moneyed aristocrac}^ be founded in this ‘sAA^eet land of lib- 
erty’ Avere it not upheld by the AAomen? Certainly not. Is that 
not creating a system Avhich destroys the spirit of love and fills the 
Avorld Avith greed and pride on one side, and eiiA^y, jealousy and 
hatred on the other? If aac are Avhat Ave claim to be — intelligent 
and moral beings, and lovers of progress — do aa'c demonstrate those 
good qualities if Ave uphold a system AAdiich produces so many abom- 


iiuitioiis? Can our hearts remain indill'erent when we learn the 
great suffering inflicted upon helpless women and children? Tliink 
of young children wearing their little lives away in mills, growing 
up in ignorance, as that which pervades uncivilized districts of Cen- 
tral Africa! Will not that hideous crime against humanity destroy 
Avhat ought to grow into an ideal country? We hear that children 
are often brought up in the mills, lying in cribs behind their toiling 
mothers, working in the dust and filth, and those poor beings fre- 
quently narroAvly escape being born there. Oh! May the Lord 
awaken a profound compassion in your hearts, you who have organ- 
ized these great associations; may you turn your efforts in the 
direction that will make men understand that they are the present 
destroyers of their fellow beings.” 

At that moment the president’s attention was called by some 
one stating that some persons were asking permission to enter and 
present some scenes, as recommended by the lady speaker. 

‘‘Mine. President,” said the speaker, “allow me to explain that 
it is one of the methods of the Reconstructive Movement to impress 
the ideas, not only in words, but to produce them and fuTHll the 
mission of art, so as to lead the minds to a higher and finer per- 
ception, and it will touch the invisible chords of sympathy, and 
awaken loftier and nobler sentiments.” 

A great applause followed, and the presiding officer told tlie 
usher to ask the gentlemen to come in. 

In a short time everything was arranged. The lights were ])ut 
out and there appeared a scene representing a cotton factory. The 
style was like the average buildings — plain and unattractive. The 
interior could be plainly seen; the spinning rooms Avith frames, the 
coarse material, corrugated rollers and spools, all placed Avhere they 
belong, the poor little AAdiite slaA^es Avalking up and down between 
the frames like slave pens. The doors and AvindoAvs Avere ke])t 
tightly closed; one could almost feel the bad air, filled Avith flying 
particles of cotton. INIen and Avomen AA'ere seen Avorking in other 
departments. The Avhole appearance shoAA^ed the overAvorked human 
beings. Their scanty living and the effect of the long hours and 
close confinement Avas shoAvn in their Aveak and sickly forms. Four 
other factories appeared, A\ffiich plainly shoAved that the present 
state of affairs Avas sapping manhood, Avomanhood. and their moral 
and intelligent sense. Next appeared such a contrast that it set 


— 21 ) 0 — 


the whole assembly to whispering. It represented the interior of a 
(Irawingroom in a palace, the exterior of which was imposing and 
the interior dazzling. There appeared an American woman who was 
reported as having created a great sensation in Paris by the mag- 
nificence of her court cloak, which was especially made for her visit 
to the court of Russia. She was sitting on an elegant chair. This 
American woman, born in a land whose founders had abandoned their 
native countries, which Avere domineered and oppressed by tyrants; 
founders who had sacrificed everything dear to them to free them- 
selves from the rulers, who had extended their oppressive power 
eA^en into the neAV land. This American Avoman had lost sight of 
the noble acts that had created a land Avhich became the refuge 
for eA^ery human being Avho recognized the sacred right of human 
liberty. This American Avoman Avas to go Avith a party Avhich con- 
sisted of her husband, a duchess, a count, etc., to St. Petersburg, 
to the Russian court. 

“My good friends,” said the speaker, ‘T sincerely belieA^e that 
if the American Avomen, Avho are using the great AA'ealth produced 
by the toilers in their native land, to rebuild the decaying European 
aristocracy, if they Avould conscientiously consider the great dangers 
that Avill curse their forefathers’ land, they AA^ould immediately re- 
nounce AAdiat they so blindly undertake. If their souls AA^ere filled 
Avith tender loA^e toAvard their felloAV beings, they Avould appreciate 
and uphold Avhat Russian Avomen haA^e done for the eleA^ation of 
the Russian serfs. Russian AAomen Avho studied the labor question, 
a (piestion of such importance in our OAvn land today, Avhich must be 
soh’ed on the basis of justice, or ruin and dcA^astation will result 
from the continuation of the present AATong system. You, no doubt, 
know the closing Avords of one of those Russian Avonien avIio labored 
and accomplished such Avonderful aAvakenings among the slaves as 
to attract the attention of the gOA^ernment, and Avas arrested and 
sent to the dreaded and scourgeful Siberia, and whose soul, Avhether 
in or out of the body, has, like John BroAvn’s, been ‘marehin «on.’ 
Her closing words, referring to Nihilism, AA'ere: ‘The association 
Avill aA^enge me, and its A^engeance Avill be terrible. Let your hang- 
men and judges destroy us noAV, during the short time that force is 
still on your side. We set against you our moral might, and that 
Avill triumph! Progress, liberty and equality fight for us, and 
through these ideas no bayonet can thrust!’ These closing Avords 


—300 


wore ro})orted by the press as the firebrand which resulted in the 
Czar’s death. A score of other women arc reported as a terror to 
the authorities, but a synonym of liberty to the oppressed class.” 

Another scene appeared, representing a mill. Several little fel- 
lows with faces as serious as if life had been a constant battle, were 
operating some machines. Beyond where these boys worked was a 
little child, not over three years old, who evidently had no other 
pi ay -ground than the mill floor. His mother and sister, a girl about 
twelve years old, besides attending to their work, kept a watchful 
eye on the little child. The sight was impressive, and became more so 
when the next contrast appeared — a scene representing the interior 
of a magnificent room. Steps of white marble, the balustrade of 
alabaster, the hand rail of American onyx, leading into the room. 
Some colored marble columns, the floor of exquisite mosaic, large 
mirrors, gorgeous tapestry and furniture. In this attractive place 
were two women seated upon an elegant sofa, conversing together. 
Their garments were magnificent. One was of white satin orna- 
mented with silver clasps set with diamonds. The other was of 
coral pink silk; the bottom of the skirt was finished with a full 
flounce of silk muslin of three tints super-imposed. The uppermost 
was white, the next roseleaf, and the lowest pale green; sprays 
of laurel leaves among which were diamonds simulating dcAV drops. 
The two women were Americans, who had bought the titles of 
duchess and countess with the wealth produced by their American 
brothers and sisters. 

‘Tn some of the daily papers,” said the lady speaker, “tire ex- 
istence of the two extremes of society are mentioned in a style as 
if it were perfectly natural, and the public mind seems not to 
affected in the least, and therefore the Reconstructive Movement 
has already proven that the public mind can be aroused when human 
conditions can be made to appear in a manner so real that no one 
can help being affected by its sight.” 

Pretty soon another scene appeared. There was a room gloomy 
and barren. Upon a bed was a woman, chilled to the marrow, with- 
out fuel for the stove, and without food. On another bed was the 
body of her husband, who had been ill, and speedily gi’ew worse with 
the coming of a cold spell. The poor wife, Avho had supported botli 
by washing and house-cleaning, had no money to pay a doctor; the 
husband died, and the wife had no money to buy food or fuel, nor 


— 301 — 


to pay for an undertaker. He had been dead for some days, and' in 
despair the poor woman threw herself on the bed, and no doubt 
Avould hav^e died had not someone discovered it and reported to the 
health officer. The next scene represented the fashionable funeral 
of a pet dog by women of fashion and wealth. There was an abun- 
dance of costly flowers, and the coffin enclosed in a polished oak 
box, was of quilted white satin. There was a lavish display, and 
the dog’s coffin was placed in a child’s white hearse, and no ex- 
pense was spared to give the animal a more solemn and precious 
burial and ceremonies, than to a hnere’ human being. 

‘‘Here,” said the speaker, pointing to the miserable human 
couple, is a spectacle — a man and a woman, who ought to have been 
provided with everything that would have made them useful and 
happy. But who cared for them ? And who is to blame ? Every one 
of us, as long as we uphold this inhuman and oppressive system! 
Is this system, which deprives mankind of their lives’ necessities, 
and in which animals are treated as precious beings, declaring them 
as being of aristocratic breeding, entitled to a life of luxury, can 
such a system be approved by our Creator? I cannot help but re- 
peat Daniel Webster’s sentence: ‘The freest government cannot 
long endure where the tendency of the law is to create a rapid 
accumulation of property in the hands of a few, and to render the 
masses of the people poor and dependent.’ Therefore, ladies, if we 
are truly sincere lovers of the glorious principles of human liberty, 
we must work incessantly for the establishment- of the Reconstruc- 
tive Movement. Why? Because if Ave do not, the people’s minds 
will be stunted to such an extent that they will say ‘amen’ and 
defend Avhat the press makes them believe — that the capitalists 
must be regarded with no other feelings but those of gratitude. 
And when can they understand that public opinion alone, when 
rightly directed, can SAveep from the ,face of the earth all existing 
Avrongs? The capitalists, some of the papers tell us, are doing too 
much good for the country. Is it true, AAffien AA^e knoAV that they 
limit not only the wages, but the employment age, of the toilers, 
Avhose means of existence depend entirely upon their toil? This 
dreadful question of an age limit for the toilers has caused, AA^e are 
informed, a furious debate in the Federation of Labor, and in order 
to preA^ent starvation the AA^ealth -producers must seek refuge in 
dishonesty. In order to look young and not be discharged from the 


302 — 


position that will enable them to earn their bread, they must keep 
their faces constantly shaved and others must use dyes to hide their 
gray hair.” Raising her eyes and with a most intense feeling, the 
lady exclaimed: “Our Heavenly Father, Thou who art no respector 
of persons, touch the hearts of every living American, and] give to 
every one the necessary strength to dedicate their lives to the great 
reform, so it shall not be true that in this great republic will exist 
the spirit of self-indulgence and extravagance, but a spirit humble 
and filled with love and kindness, which shall fill the world Avith 
peace and good Avill.” 

The audience seemed so much affected that the profoundest 
silence lasted until a young lady, whom the speaker had motioned 
to come forward, appeared on the platform, then a loud applatise 
began, and seA^eral A^oices Avere heard saying: “Yes! Yes, Ave are 
ready to join the great reform movement!” 

The young lady, made a graceful boAV. In her left hand she 
held a paper, Avhich she opened and read, “Echoes From the Past.” 

“'What is justice? To giA^e eA^ery man his OAvn.’ — Aristotle. 

“ ‘Poverty possesses this disease : Through Avant it teaches 
evil.’ — Euripides. 

“ ‘Poverty is a disposition of all kinds of evil. It is man’s 
greatest foe.’ — Alparache.” 

After she finished the reading, she eloquently recited the fob 
loAAdng: 


—fm— 


IS THIS HUMAN BROTHERHOOD? 

From the early dawn of morning 
Till the closing of the day. 

Helping to enrich another, 

Toiling hard for little pay. 

Living in a pent-up alley, 

Or; the coarsest kind of food; 

^^'hilst the rich man lives in luxury — 

Is this hirnan brotherhood? 

Better far to be a savage 

In the desert, roaming free. 

Than to live a life degraded. 

And a mere machine to be. 

But, cry preachers, be contented; 

It is only for your good; 

Man was made to toil and suffer — 

Is this human brotherhood? 

Vain it is to talk of freedom, 

Whilst distinctions thus remain; 

Slaves of Avealth are slaves as truly 
As the slaves that wear the chain. 

Though God’s earth was made for all men. 
Owning not a single rood, 

Bobbed of all and blamed for toiling — 

Is that human brotherhood? 

Arouse yourselves, you toiling millions! 
.loin together in your might; 

Cast off sleep, be up and doing 

If you Avould obtain your right. 

And oppression sweep before you 
Like a torrent of a flood. 

Be your watchword Truth and Justice — 
Universal brotherhood. 


— Exchange. 


—304 


There was an enthusiastic clapping of hands, and after the 
young lady had withdrawn, Mrs. K. continued: 

“You probably have read the statement made by a foreign phi- 
losopher, that ‘while progress, for its own advancement; can battle 
only with the weapons of Truth, monarchy finds no lie too big, and 
no means too wicked in order to preserve itself. It is afraid th.at 
the masses of the people will become enlightened and demand their 
rights, and therefore a limit is put on their mental, as well as 
spiritual development, and lines of division are drawn which sepa- 
rates them into classes, and becomes one of the greatest obstacles 
to the fulfillment of the divine commandment, love thj^ neighbor as 
thyself.’ This, our beloved country, which is free from that crush- 
ing form of government, has allowed another evil power to spring 
up, which is ‘capitalism,’ and one of our great patriots has plainly 
described the dangers of the money power, ‘That, instead of being in 
accord with the spirit of democratic freedom, its usurpation f«f 
common rights and opportunities is ‘monarchial;’ that the practical 
annulling of the privileges and organic prerogatives of a people is 
‘monarchial;’ the assumption of arbitrary authority over the means 
of life, the lands, fuels, the tools of trade, the opportunity to labor, 
and the mechanism of exchange and distribution is ‘monarchial;’ 
to make null the constitutional guarantee of an elective franchise, 
defeating the popular will, and reducing legislation to a commodity 
for price, is ‘monarchial;’ to assail and invade the human rights 
of free speech and free assemblage is ‘monarchial;’ finally, to ab- 
rogate the fundamental institutions of a people, the pledges and 
ordinances that united them as a nation, the bill of rights, princi- 
ples and equalities by which their nationality became possible, is 
‘monarchial, tyrranous, and subversive of human liberty and pro- 
gress.’ I am very glad that a number of intelligent, thinking 
women are taking up tlie problems and are helping to solve them. 
One said: ‘Take away wealth, fame and social distinction, whicli 
weigh not one jot in the balance of Cod, and we get clearer views. 
Break up cliques, level wealth with honesty, let merit be judged 
according to wisdom, and we get correct views of humanity.’ Ladies, 
we know that the power of good words is marvelous, and think 
what a renowned physical scientist has discovered, ‘that the sensi- 
tive plate of nature is so delicate that even the passing shadow of 
a cloud is registered on the earth, and its impressions could be re- 


— 305 — 


produced if we had the proper appliances.’ Think of tliis, says 
cue of our modern instructors, and then compare it with that might- 
iest engraver of life, the ‘spoken word,’ and then we can conceive 
the great importance of what we say, for when we speak words of 
truth we are absolutely bui’ding in the human brain new cells, and tear- 
ing down old ones. And why — great heaven! — why does not the 
American press, the moulder of public opinion, understand this great 
truth? How can it dare to openly boast that ‘we Americans are 
.getting very close to the nobility, and the time is not far distant 
— if not now — when we shall as ‘dearly love a lord’ as do foreigii- 
'crs? Is the public press, which claims to be the greatest moulder of 
public opinion, is it using its moulding power to strengthen the love 
•of liberty, and remind the people of the eternal vigilance which 
liberty demands? The time has come, my dear friends. When the 
women of this free country must open their eyes, take in the whole 
situation, and learn the opinions of the titled aristocracy, whose 
pomp and cupidity induced them to marry the daughters of the 
millionaires and shamelessly admitted that those marriages were 
intended for the manuring of their countries. One aristocratic 
woman told her son, who was opposed to marrying the daughter of 
a millionaire: ‘My son, you must marry her, for you know that 
the ruined grounds are fattened with manure.’ The daughters of 
the wealthy in the past have sustained the corrupting systems, 
and what is more disgraceful and threatening today, is the fact 
that some of the daughters of American millionaires are becoming 
the iramiring element to fatten and maintain the 
reckless and extravagant beings who bear the useless titles of 
])rinces, dukes, barons, marquises, etc. The press, the great moulder 
of public opinion, instead of disapproving, praised and flattered the 
American society women for wearing five million dollars’ worth of 
jewels at the opera house in honor of a foreign prince! Is it any 
wonder, the opera house being ablaze with the flashing brilliancy 
of their costumes, if the men, as the press reported, threw beautiful 
bouquets of oratory at the emperor and prince? The duty of the 
great moulder of public opinion is to uphold the great truth, that 
where the unity of the human family is not, there is limitless space 
for envy, hatred and worldliness. What encourages the rofonn 
movement is that the good, thinking women are rapidly coming 
forward, as they are, in search of the beautiful ‘Idea] Life’ expressed 


— 30G— 


by a true philosopher — Ruskin: ‘Mighty of heart, mighty of miinl 
— magnanimous. To be this is indeed to be great in life; to become 
thus increasingly, is indeed to advance in life — in life itself, not 
in the trappings of it. They are advancing in life whose hearts are 
getting softer, whose blood Avarmer, whose spirit is entering into 
living peace.’ The mighty change that will turn this earth into a 
heaven demands women as its apostles. Then will the oppressive 
system maintained by the vast private fortunes, Avhich the press 
announces ‘should be the pride of the nation,’ Avill disappear. The 
great German composer, Richard Wagner, had a strong faith that 
the people will be the artists of the future, and that from the most 
absolute democracy the true music will come. His critics pointed 
to the multitude as a conclusive answer. He replied: ‘This ‘mob’ 
is in. no wise a normal product of real human nature, but, instead, 
is the artificial product of your unnatural culture. All the crimes 
and horrors Avhich you find so repulsive in the mob, are only des- 
perate incidents of the Avar which human nature is Avaging against 
its cruel oppressor, ‘the modern civilization.’ The modern civiliza- 
tion, Avhich deprives the great masses more and more of Avhat' 
Avould cultivate their tastes and enable them to appreciate the 
grandeur and magnificence A\diich human skill and energy have pro- 
duced, and AAdiich ought to be used for the general, and not alone; 
for private benefit.’ My dear friends, let us remember that beauti ) 
ful surroundings, if used in a proper and unselfish Avay, are inspir-' 
ing. You knoAV hoAV the rude and fighting Romans, Avhen they en-^ 
tered into the cities of Greece and saAv the matchless Avorks of: 
architecture and sculpture Avith Avhich they Avere embellished, their' 
rugged pride Avas softened and they AA^ere smitten Avith the loA^e of: 
the beautiful arts. But, unfortunately, the chiefs of that time, 
Avho had destroyed so many nations, introduced an unbounded: 
luxurA^, Avhich vitiated entirely the grace and simplicity of ancient 
manners. You knoAV hoAV often we hear that history Avill repeat; 
itself. The tendencies of the capitalists of today are dangerous ; ■ 
the Romans spoiled nations and today the capitalists are combining 
and it means the degradation of the producers of life’s comforts. 
Ladies, let us remind every woman how, through all the ages, Avomen 
liaAe been Avronged and oppressed, and unless they are willing to 
help to establish the redeeming Reconstructive principles, they may 
lose their freedom at one stroke. We know that the reform lit- 


307 — 


erature is a great beacon light, and we circulate it in large quan- 
tities. I will read to you a little article which relates how, on one 
occasion, a lady of distinction, at whose house a Scotch philosopher 
was a guest, bewailed the wickedness of the Jews in not receiving 
Jesus as their Savior. She finished her diatribe against them by 
saying: ‘How different would have been his reception had he aj)- 
peared in our own time! How dMighted we should all be to throw 
our doors open to him and listen to his divine precepts! Don’t you 
think so, Mr. Carlyle?’ The plain-spoken philosopher, thus appealed 
to, said, in his broadest Scotch accent: ‘No, Madame, I don’t. I 
think, had he come with plenty of money and good recommenda- 
tions, and fashionably dressed, and preached doctrines palatable 
to the higher orders, I might have had the honor to receive from 
x onr ladyship a card of invitation, on the back of which would 
have been written, ‘To meet our Savior;’ but if he had come 
denouncing those aristocrats, the pharisees, and associating with 
the publicans and radicals of the day, we should have treated him 
now very much as the Jews did then, and cried out, ‘Take li^m to 
Newgate and hang him!’ Ladies, I thank you for your great pa- 
tience. It was not my intention to speak so long, and I kindly ask 
you to excuse me.” 

There was a stornr of great applause. WJien the meeting ad- 
journed a great number of the ladies surrounded her and expressed 
their sincere appreciation of her new and highly valuable ideas. 


CHAPTER XX. 


When Mrs. K. reached home she found her husband waiting 
for her. Both were happy at the great success of their useful work. 

‘T must tell yoii/’ said her husband, “that there were several 
persons who asked permission to write down the speech. 1 did not 
object, and asked one of them to do me Hie favor of giving me a 
copy, which he gladly handed to me before I left. I will read it to 
you.’^ After he got through the young wife said: 

“That is an excellent speech, and as I am asked to speak before 
a large conference of 'Women’s fraternal orders,’ and all these (|ucs- 
tions are of absorbing interest, and instructive to both sexes, I 
know you will not object to have me read it to them.” 

“No,” he replied; “and I know you will introduce the necessary 
changes required for that occasion. I see Ave are asked to deliver, 
speeches before an audience of missionaries and modern scientists.” 

“Very Avell, let us be thankful that the aroused public mind 
continues in its eagerness to listen to these new ideas, and what a 
stupendous progress will the world witness when the blessed system 
of Reconstruction shall be adopted by the majority of the thinking 
people ! ” 

The evening for the gathering of the women’s fraternal orders 
arrived, and the presiding officer introduced Mrs. K. as one of the 
most prominent reformers of the twentieth century, and the most 
enthusiastic greetings were extended to her by the large membership 
of the fraternal orders, and she began, addressing the president and 
friends: 

“I will explain to you that the thoughts expressed in this essay 
were delivered by my husband before a large assembly of men’s fra- 
ternal orders, and as E thought that it was as Avell adapted for the 
women as for the men, I will read it to you: ‘The AA^orld’s greatest 
need today, says the Fraternal Brotherhood, is, ‘Look up! Lift up!’ 
for it says there are thousands who are ready to pull down, as they 
are full of destructive eneigy. Tt says every member of the vast 
army enrolled under the banner of the fraternal orders has a great 
reason to j’ejojce jn bis membership, and that ‘There is no grander 


-309— 


acliievoineiit than that of true fraternity/ We must admit that the 
fraternal orders are accomplishing much good, especially if, as they 
assert, there is no favored class, and no discrimination against 
one member as compared wfth another. It speaks of the phenomenal 
prosperity of these oiders, while at the same time it speaks of mis- 
fortune, want and sorrow which visit thousands of homes, and that 
Ihere is no scheme or magical influence that will give the fraternity 
any great linancial backing, other than that supplied by the con- 
tributions of the membership, and jmu must acknowledge that under 
the present system the means of ninety -nine out of every hundred 
individuals are exceedingly limited. The fraternal orders plainly 
admit the present destroying conditions. Think, my good friends, 
of the great power in the enormous army of these orders to lend 
assistance to the workers of the Reconstructive Movement! You are 
told again and again that the road along which your fraternal insti- 
tutions must march is strewn with boulders, and they threaten dire 
consequences unless you, as fraternalists, bestir yourselves and insist 
that certain reforms be inaugurated and pushed to a successful issue. 
In my fullest conviction I will say, and repeat, that under the pres- 
ent destroying conditions no orders, leagues, unions, clubs, etc., can 
inaugurate and push to a successful issue any kind of reform, except 
it be the radical reform which will put a stop to the weakening in- 
fluence of poverty, which is causing steady physical and mental 
degeneration, and that radical reform is the Reconstructive system! 
If every member of the many and large associations will carefully 
study the principles of our radical reform, then they will learn that 
under the new system ‘grim death’ will certainly not be their only 
reward! Dr. Adler calls everybody’s attention to the fact that 
poverty is the source of many evils: 

“ T. Insufficient nutrition — leaving the body a prey to disease, 
and causing dreadful mortality. 

“ ‘2. Care — anxiety for the future, the uncertainty of exist- 
ence. It is this care that comes to the poor man, and sits at his 
table — that comes at night and places hot coals under his pillow, 
and prevents him from sleeping. 

“ ‘3. The crushing of mental activity and growth in young men 
and women of talent and even genius, from lack of means of educa- 
tion and development.’ 

^‘You may already have heard how the workers in this radical 


—310 



ivfurin are seeking, and how easily they find, among the working 
class many talented persons, and how they provide them with 
means to cultivate their natural gifts. I have asked a young girl, 
a poor orphan, who, for some years, has been a toiling slave, till her 
health has gradually broken down, and, fortunately, one of our 
co-workers rescued 'her. She is a bright girl; she is willing to do 
any thing she is asked to. You will hear her recite, for it is our 
rule, when we are asked to speak, to take with us singers, elocu- 
tionists, musicians and artists, to whom have been given 
the l^est chances to develop their talents, and they prove of great 
assistance to impress upon the minds of the audience the principles 
of the new system. With your permission I will ask Miss Adeline 
to come forward.” 

A tall, slender young lady arose and walked toward the plat- 
form. With a voice clear and strong she began: 


— 311 — 


WHY WEALTH FLOWS TO THE FEW. 

By B. M. L. 

Tlicre are nine liundred ninety and nine today 
^^dlO liave sorrow and wrongs untold, 

\\'liile trust lords are draining their lives away. 

By hoisting the standard of gold. 

A thousand are wailing in want and desj)air 
That one more may be rated a millionaire. 

From the man of toil sweetest comforts come. 

Though he owns neither home nor lands; 
lh‘ that had builded the mansion with gilded dome 
l ives a tenant with empty hands. 

The combines have taken his right to a share. 

That more gold may be coined for the millionaire. 

I'Aer toiling, the nine hundred ninety and nine 
Wealth -makers over all the earth — 

From the sea and the land, and dark, gloomy mine — 

Priceless treasures they now bring forth. 

But the gold they gather by toiling and care 
Flows at once to the bank of the millionaire. 

^lost noble these makers of wealth for tlie world, 

AVho with lightning, gas and steam. 

Propel the great ships, while the trains are hurled 
Vi iih the speed of a restless dream. 

Snell heroes should have enough and to spare, 

And no more be the slaves of the millionaire. 

\Mien the nine hundred ninety and nine shall learn 
Why their treasures all flow to the few, 

^^'ith ballots or bullets the tide will turn — 

Oil! then, vote with this thought in view! 

Trust ownership means we must each have a share 
Of the wealth that now goes to the millionaire. 

'the fervor and intense feeUng with Avhich the rescued slave 
"ecited the poem produced a magical effect. The encores and applause 
continue 1 so unceasingly that she stood again facing the audience, 
which felt the living presence of a great in iral power. 


—312 


ill ail earnest and solemn inaiiner she be^an: 

STAND UP FOR LABOR. 

B. M. L. 

Stand lip for men who labor, ~ 

Dare to defend the riglit, 

Jdft high the royal banner, 

And Avith your ballots fight. 

The truth at last will conquer, 

Xone can her sword withstand; 

Her soldiers all will honor 

^^dlen justice rules the land. 

Stand for the men Avdio laboi-j 
l.et dastard despots know 

Our Socialistic Order 

Defies the nation’s foe. 

Tull well we all remember 
The days of Washington, 

And each one of our number 
Still honors Jefferson. 

Strike for the men Avho labor. 

With brave Old Hickory stand. 

And swear by the Eternal 

Oreed shall not rule the land. 

^Ve love the grit of Jackson, 

Who dared to stand alone, 
ho fought the money monster. 

And hurled him from his throne. 

Vote for the friend of labor. 

Take Tdncoln for your guide; 

Among great men, none greater; 

For truth he lived and died. 

1 ike him, make war with mammon, 
Dethrone proud greed for gain, 

Swear by th'^ (Ireat Jehovah 

That justice soon shall reign. 


—313 


Again the audience, with great applause, expressed their sincere 
a})preciation, and the lady speaker began again: 

‘‘We must admit that this is a remarkable period, for we can 
see that the propaganda is growing, and it is surely plain that the 
most intelligent persons are trying to attract public attention 
to the fact that if the people remain in the present negative con- 
dition their dignity as citizens will be ground to the dust! Here 
is a strong plea by Geo. W. B., a great reformer. He said: ‘There 
has been a cry for change, but thus far monopoly has been as deaf 
to the cries of justice as Pharaoh to IsraePs cries. When starving 
labor protests, monopoly doubles the guards. When it strikes, 
monopoly calls the militia to feed the hungry with villainous salt- 
petre. How long will want remain non-aggressive in the presence of 
such abundance? How long will poverty remain loyal when op- 
pi’essed by an idle class? Oppression drives loyalty to madness, and 
should monopoly grow more inhuman who can promise security? 
Every voice should counsel moderation, but in every crowded tene- 
ment, in every destitute home of forced idleness, in every hut whose 
small income brings want; in every closed shop, in every emptied 
coal mine, there are strong men, bold from desperation, who cannot 
hear the better counsels, and who are driven to look upon capit.il 
as an enemy, because they have felt its injustice. It is mockery to 
talk of patriotism to those Avho are crouching suppliants for work, 
and who must join a union to get pay enough to compromise wilh 
Avant. Toiling beings do not Avarm Avith enthusiasm over the glo- 
ries of a country Avhere inhumanity rules, where idleness fattens in 
vice and luxury, and industry bends under the burden of necessity. 
When the most imperative duty of man is to experiment upon how 
little he can live, patriotism is at a Ioav ebb. The future is dark^ 
but unless monopoly is dethroned and the A\diole industrial system 
changed, the people Avill gradually sink until despair arouses re- 
sistance, and then comes restitution through revolution. Deplore it 
as Ave may, the issue has been forced by organized aristocracy, and 
if relief comes, it must be from the organized patriotism of the 
masses. Where is hope or safety? There are millions of men idle 
and restless, thousands of homes in Avant, and a deep, dangerous mur- 
mur of fear, dissatisfaction and earnest protest on every hand, and 
Avhere is safety but in the patriotism of the masses? Monopoly, 
by its arrogant me4dling Avith public affairs, controlling polities. 


lobby, legislature, the judiciary, and gathering the profits of all 
industries, has disgusted business men, discouraged farmers, and 
forced labor to secret enmity. It has fostered dangerous discontent 
in the great turbulent centers, and safety demands the best judg- 
ment of the wise, the grandest heroism of the brave, and the most 
prompt and vigilant action of the patriotic. Ladies, you know there 
is a great battle between the working and the capitalist classes, 
and that is the reason that the woild is sitting on a social volcano, 
and most of the women of the capitalist class seem totally uncon- 
scious of it. Are not those battles a great hint to them that they 
ought not to court the injurious and vulgar extravagances? Mrs. 
E. W. W. said in one of her poems: , 

“ ‘Heaven is a realm by loving hearts created. 

And hell was fashioned by the hearts that hated.’ 

“Can we reach that high realm which loving hearts can create 
if we support the present system, which is based upon the aggres- 
siveness and self-presumption of the lower nature of mankind? At 
this point I wish to ask your permission to present some of the 
scenes that are produced by artists whose aims are to represent llie 
social conditions; they are sterecpticon and realistic motion picturt's. 
1 see everything is ready.” 

As the lights were put out the first scene that appeared repre- 
sented box cars, which are used to carry sacks of grain, potatoes 
and other things, and in those cars families were packed together 
fxke cattle, whicli, in hot days, was unbearable, forcing the littie 
ones, with their motliers, to turn out and seek shelter underneath 
among the wheels. Xo sign of partitions or curtains for privacy wcie 
provided. The men worked for the railroad company at wages so 
low that they could not save any money, and they had to buy 
everything, at such high prices, from the company, that they were 
always in debt. Thiity of these box cars were full of men, women 
and children, transported by the railroad from another country, so 
that the capitalists could break and refuse all demands of the great 
mass of the toilers in their own land. On the ground about the cars 
was filth of every description, the company being responsible for the 
diseases caused by the foul surroundings of the camps, where their 
army of serfs are forced to live, the industrial conditions all tend- 
ing toward making the life of the toilers unl:)earable. Those scenes 
disappeared, and in their places appeared a magnificent vision. It rep- 


resented a grand avenue. There were beautiful mansions, the ele- 
gant architectural style, the picturesque and tastefully arranged 
ground, attracted the attention of every member in the audience, 
and presently appeared fine horses and equipages of such splendor 
and great display that it nearly eclipsed them. The ladies in the 
carriages looked so proud and stiff that it seemed to freeze the warm 
and admiring impulses that were awakened at the sight of nature 
embellished by human genius and labor. 

“My good friends,” said the speaker, “if the pro- 

ent destroying conditions do not affect women’s souls, 

may the Lord have merc}^ on them! Recently we 

heard that one of the wealthy women had had a five thousand 

dollar home built for her pet dogs, and installed a cook for them; 
and another capitalist is building a palace that is to cost $3,500,000! 
If women were not the soulless ornaments of the palaces, would men 
take the trouble to have them built? Certainly not! Ladies, I am 
very sorry to say that if the sordid human senses rule the world, 
if capitalists alienate the human family from the natural principles 
of equality, women deserve greater blame than men; they may cause 
the great wrongs consciously or unconsciously, but the time is ap- 
proaching fast when it will be recognized that the most powerful 
element to save or ruin the world is womankind! Everybody who 
has studied the great events in the history of the world must admit 
it. Recently a statement has been made by a bishop, ‘That the 
women of this country are responsible for three-fourths of the crimes 
committed,’ and Mrs. E. W. W., who is a great student — I will men- 
tion some of the most convincing passages, for the lady said that in- 
stead of reproving the bishop, she agreed with him, to a great ex- 
tent. I presume it is not new to you, ladies, but it is worth repeat- 
ing again. She said: ‘Much of the crime of the world* can bo traced to the 
j)re-natal conditions of the criminals. Mothers who hate their un- 
born children and dwell night and day on thoughts of destruction, 
bring children into the world who are destructive and whose minds 
are filled with hatred. The father may be equally guilty in ren- 
dering the home an unhappy place, yet a mother’s disposition is the 
one which gives the home its atmosphere. Again, I have known the 
dispositions of two generations of people to be ruined by the disa- 
greeable and quarrelsome nature of one woman. Mothers who allow 
their children to be disoiderly. extravagant and selfish are helping 


—316— 

them to tread the path toward crime. The daughter who is brought 
up to believe it her right to have whatever she wants, no matter who 
suffers to gratify her, is the woman Avho drives her husband into 
forgery or defalcation, if he is not wealthy enough to meet her de- 
mands, or strong enough to deny her. It is Avoman Avho figures as 
angel or demon, and there ought to be a chair of motherhood in ^ 
every Avomen’s college, teaching young Avomen this incontestible truth.’ 
XoAV, ladies, I do not think it is enough to haA^e a chair of mother- 
hood in cA’^ery Avomen’s college, but in eA^ery home, and Avhen the neAV 
Reconstructi\^e System shall take the place of the destructive com- 
petitive system, Avomen Avill no longer be denied the necessary oppor- 
tunities to transform the AAorld into a happy home for the human 
family! Tf Ave coiiA-ert the mother, AA"e con\"ei;t a nation,’ says INIr. 
Saxton. Oh, my good friends, it is something appalling A\iien Ave 
hear that ‘We are a nation of speculators. The craving for Avealth 
becomes a disease. Men are money-drunk.’ Oh, hoAV greatly Avoman’s 
help is needed, and do you suppose they can remain indifferent Avhen 
they fully understand the cause that makes this — a nation of spec- 
ulators? I say, let eA^ery one carefully study the conditions that are 
creating more oppression and hatred, and those conditions must be 
radically changed, and Avith AA^omen’s help the change Avill be obtained 
more rapidly. Let us consider some of these conditions as stated by 
the reform press, ‘That the development of industrial poAver, and 
time- and labor-saving machinery, is one of the principal facts of the 
century. In raising AA^heat, from breaking the ground to sacking the 
grain, one hour Avith modern machinery Avill accomplish as much as 
tAA^enty-tAA^o hours Avith the old time ploAV, sickle, etc.’ Think, ladies, 
four men, Avith the aid of machinery, can plant, raise, haiwest, mill 
and carry to market, Avheat enough to supply with bread 1,000 people 
for a year. To shell GO bushels of corn by hand takes 95 hours of 
labor time; Avith machinerv, one hour is enough. To make a ploAV 
by hand took 118 hours, Avith a labor cost of $5 35; Avith machinery 
noAV a ploAV is made in 3% hours, at a labor cost of 70 cents. To 
build a standard platform road Avagon, Avith tAVO moA^able seats and 
a leather dash-board, takes 53 Vs hours of labor time Avith machinery, 
against 20414 hours Avith the old hand tools, and the labor cost Avith 
machinery is $8.48 cents, against $43.07 Avith hand AA^ork. In saAving 
lumber by machinerv the saving of labor time is 375 to 1, and the 
saving of muscular exertion much greater still. One man Avith a 


—317— 


double-surface planer will sinootbe as many boards in a day as 40 
carpenters with hand planes. To make 12 hard-wood bedsteads 
now, takes 41 hours and 0^4 minutes, against 571 hours by hand. 
The labor cost by hand was $141.90, and by machinery $6.06. One 
woman with a sewing machine can do as much as 12 to 20 with 
needle and thread. The sewing of 100 yards of Wilton carpet takes 
1^4 hours by machinery, and 27 hours by hand. The making of 100 
pounds of 6-ounce carpet tacks requires 8 hours today, against 810 
Avith the old hand tools. Ladies, I would like to mention everything 
that is produced today through machinery, Avhich ought to be a 
blessed sign of progress. It is very important for everybody to know 
it, but under the present system it creates a critical, a fatal con- 
dition for the masses of the people. The soulless financiers are se- 
curing control over all that is indispensable for human life and 
comfort. Oh, may the ever-present Power enlighten the souls of 
men and women, so they shall never forget the axiom of liberty, 
that free people must never allow their poAver to be taken from 
them, then Avill the Avorld Avitness the peaceful renioA^al of the cruel 
competition Avhich is increasing Avith the displacement of labor by 
machinery, and establish the Co-operatiA’^e CommonAA^ealth. My good 
friends, I hope that you Avill do your very best to spread the reform, 
literature, Avhich fully agrees Avith the lofty ideas on government by 
the father of this country, aaLo said: Tt is our true policy to steer 
clear of permanent alliance Avith any portion of the foreign AA^orld. 
Why, by interAA^eaving our destiny Avith that of any part of Europe, 
entangle our peace and prosperity in the toils of European ambition, 
ri\"alship, interest and caprice? Let us impart all the blessings Ave 
possess or ask for ourseh^es to the Avhole family of mankind. Let 
us erect a standard to Avhich the good and honest may repair.’ We 
haA^e not the least doubt that if that true patriot Avere alive today 
he Avould be one of the strongest supporters of the ReconstructivT. 
Movement. His kindness, his loving heart, Avould soon discoA^er the 
remedy to empty the almshouses Avhich are filled Avith paupers, and 
preA^ent the strikes of tens of thousands for a Avage that Avill give 
them enough to eat. Ladies, I suppose you knoAV that the increase 
of crime, insanity and poverty is spreading like a plague, and the 
Destructive Movement is overfloAving Avith rage and hatred against 
the present system, and is becoming more and more dangerous, for 
its only remedy is destruction. They unceasingly condemn the ab- 


—318— 


surdity of capitcilisni, which is multiplying churches, universities 
and libraries, while this wrong system causes corruption everywlnue, 
in public as well as in private life. In order to convince the public 
they call its attention to the census bulletins, which present the 
sad state of affairs, of the increase instead of the diminution of 
])Overty. In 1880 the number of paupers in the almshouses was 
00,203, and on July 8, 1891, the number was 73,045. In 1880 the 
number of prisoners in county jails was 12,091. and in July, 1891. 
the bulletins show the number during 1890 to have been 19,538. The 
number of convicts in the penitentiaries in 1880 ,was 35.538. and on 
February 14, 1891. was 45,233, an increase in ten years of 9,095, and 
the total population only increased 24.80 per cent. That Destructive 
]Movement is bitterly opposed to the Reconstructive Movement It 
claims that to succeed in reconstruction the old structure must bo 
completely torn down. We entirely agree that the old, injurious 
structure must disappear, but instead of relying upon the past and 
old methods of using violence and destruction, our Movement appeals 
with irresistible force to reason and moral power. Von have, no 
doubt, heard how many men are turning and appealing for women’s 
help. They openly declare- that women, better than men, can dis- 
coA'er the cause of the great and increasing evils, and never before 
Avere women ready as they are today, and never before haAo they 
felt the necessity to organize so as to obtain everything necessary 
for the betterment of their sex, which means the betterment of the 
whole race. Women’s activity in this remarkable epoch is aston- 
ishing, and if they, with strong desire to improA^e the Avorld, join the 
^tovement of Reconstruction, the assertion so often made that the 
civilization of the nation depends on the condition of the women, 
will be proven as it has never been before. Says a woman of great 
})rominence in the 19th century, ‘Why should I have such a poor 
and meagre opinion of the female sex? I am acquainted with many 
])ersons of our sex who concentrate in themseh es so many good (|ual- 
ities as one would, only Avith difficulty, find in the other sex.’ There 
are great upheavals that are causing general unrest, shaking to their 
foundations the imperfect social, religious, political and industrial 
institutions, and the large number of modern reformers are pre- 
paring the sincere truth-seekers to enter into the great Reconstruc- 
tiA^e Movement. We hear on all sides that this neAv century demands 
thoughtful and intelligent Avomeiij and they are responding with 


-319— 


nnicli fervor and to such an extent that men’s ideas concerning tliem 
are being completely changed. It is admitted today that one of the 
most wonderful features in the progress of the past century is the 
progress of women. Fifty years ago onlj^ three or four occupations 
were open to women, and as a result of their incessant struggle to 
obtain their rights, today every door stands open before them, and 
they stand as a recognized power in the world of science, literature 
and industry. But remember, dear friends, that the present system 
cannot offer women — nor men, I must say — the necessary opportuni- 
ties to demonstrate the progress they have acquired. The present 
system, injuring not only women, is bound to bring both sexes into 
a condition of wage slavery. Ladies, consider well the present sit- 
uation, and you will become convinced that women’s advancement, 
if not used to change the present social and economic system, which 
is, as one of the great reformers said, morally abominable and thor- 
oughly anti-Christian, and destroys human souls and bodies, they un- 
consciously will multiply the existing evils, and will be the unfortu- 
nate ones who will prevent the wheels of true progress from re- 
volving. Allow me to repeat again to you all, join the great reform move- 
ment, and you will be the modern powerful helpers to break the 
chains of tyranny, but if the twentieth century women refuse to 
perform the new and only saving duties, woe to them! Men are de- 
claring dreadful things. Dr. R. B. H. states that unless something 
radical is Mone the entire population of the United States will be 
insane in less than 260 years. That within the last fifty years the 
number of insane persons has increased 300 per cent, and at the rate 
the population is going it Avill only take 260 years to embrace them 
all. He suggests better education of the masses, and Regeneration 
must begin with the unborn,’ he said. I am sorrj^ he did not ex- 
plain better what he meant by the Something radical.’ One lady, we 
are told, has been the means of firing hundreds of the women in the 
upper classes all over the United States to better the terrible condi- 
tions under which women and children are obliged to earn their daily 
bread. Tell me, my good friends, how can the terrible conditions 
be improved as long as we create upper and lower classes? Another 
lady said: ‘The trouble with girls today is, they think only of 
clothes and men. Girls,’ she said, ‘should be taught to prepare them- 
selves for motherhood instead of constantly to think of which color 
is best suited to their complexion, or what style of gown produces 


320 — 


the most wstuniiing efi'ect.’ Tiiis lady, like many others, uncovers the 
Avrongs, but does she suggest what must be radically removed in 
order to give them a mighty chance to overcome the false ideals? 
Can they become independent, when, under the present system, 
‘fashion’s decrees’ reduce them to one of the worst kinds of slavery? 
Do not those false ideals fill their minds with dissatisfaction, worry 
and vanity? A famous singer, who is trying to start a reform in 
women’s clothes, says that women today wear everything and they 
wear nothing. That the clothing is not a decoration, that it is not 
dressing, it is the piling on of silks and satins, furs and jewels, until 
one loses sight of the wearer by the gorgeousness of the clothes. 
The lady says it is time for women to issue a declaration of inde- 
pendence from their dressmakers and commence wearing rational 
clothing. Ladies, what is the cause of women’s dependence and 
slavery; is it the dressmaker, or the competitive system? You prob- 
ably have read how recently an exasperated dressmaker exclaimed, 
‘The next generation of sewing girls will be born blind!’ Two of her 
best hands had been given sick leave because they could not see what 
they were doing. This hem-stitching mania, and feather-stitched 
insertions, she scolded, are bad enough. ‘Ten of my eighty girls 
have had to give up work within the last three years since the 
fancy work on gowns became a craze. The narrow ribbon work and 
the tiny ruchings with narrow lace edgings are also maddening.’ My 
dear ladies, I feel that the time is coming fast when tv^omen will 
really become independent, for they are beginning to recognize their 
‘True Being,’ and they will certainly approve what one of the ad- 
vanced women said: ‘That the Reconstructive party appeals to her 
because : It respects the rights of women. It dignifies manual labor. It 
will make child slavery impossible. It will give the individual a 
chance to expand. It will provide for the general welfare of the 
people. It will raise the standard of purity in the race. It offers 
the best jnethods of dealing with the liquor problem. It will give 
all people the opportunity to become free and equal. It will make 
it possible for women to grow strong and normal. It offers the 
best opportunity for the development and growth of the fine arts. 
It will make it possible for women to grow to their full moral and 
spiritual standard. It will produce a higher race of people, and a 
higher literature than the world has ever known. It will give op- 
portunity for scientific investigation and discovery. It will abolish 


— 321 — 


the rule of tyranny, and will introduce Christianity into the world 
for the first time in its purity. It will take the slums out of the 
cities, and in their places plant beautiful gardens, and build schools 
of learning. Under that new system, old things must pass away. 
All things must become new, and the true meaning of life, as taught 
by the highest prophets of the ages, will be possible!^” 

There was a great applause. 

“Then we shall see a new heaven and a new earth!’’ exclaimed 
nearly everyone. 

“Yes, and please remember,” said the speaker, ‘Svhat tlie writer 
said, that ‘What has been done by women in the past, can be in- 
finitely improved upon by the women of the present; let us be up 
and doing.’ Then the statement made by the fraternal orders, to 
‘Look up, and lift up,’ will not remain empty words.” 

Thanking the audience, the lady withdrew and the hearty ap- 
])lause Avas renewed. 

The next day Mr. Ivanohe said to his Avife: “You remember, 
my dear, hoAV the papers claim to be the best helpers in the Avorld? 
Xow, you Avill notice that some misrepresent us, some criticise, and 
others condemn us, and then others advise us to stop our Avork, to 
retire, and not come in contact Avith the inferior classes, and enter, 
as we are entitled, among the highest society of the land, l^t us 
thank heaA^en, my good Avife, that the study of the existing condi- 
tions has brought to our understanding the abysses and the terrific 
breakers under the shining surface, Avhich dasli to pieces the pleas- 
ures of those who plunge into the deceiving Avorldly extraA^agance 
and pretentiousness. In this remarkable epoch, the excess of fury 
and rancor of the neAvspapers seems to do not a bit of harm ; on the 
contrary, it helps us. Look at this pile of invitations. They come 
from many of the states.” 

“Yes,” said his Avife, “we liaA’e a great deal of Avork at hand, but 
T am very glad that the public interest is increasing.” 


CHAPTER XXL 


The next evening the young couple appeared at the hall where 
tlie missionaries had invited them to deliver a speech, and, as usual, 
they had no idea of finding such an extraordinary gathering, and 
they received tiie most hearty greetings as they were introduced by 
the j)resident. As soon as perfect order was obtaind, Mr. Ivanohe 
arose, and after addressing the president and the audience, he began: 

“You have been very kind to invite us to speak and express our 
opinions concerning the present social conditions. Allow me to tell 
you, missionaries, you who are sent by Christian churches to con- 
vert the natives to Christianity, that according to the views of the 
great Reform Movement to which we belong, your work, although 
carried on with the best intentions, cannot develop the spirit along 
the lines of least resistance, and you cannot obtain the conditiojis 
which are most favorable as long as the existence of mankind is 
not based u[)on the principles of absolute right and justice. The 
conditions that surround the people, socially, religiously, industrially 
and politically, have made them too negative to respond to any 
effort of the teachers called missionaries. And wh}^? Because true 
Christianity is not introduced, and, being kept in a base condition, 
it is impossible for them to realize their spiritual power. The Re- 
(‘onstructive System recognizes the great fact of the ‘Fatherhood of 
(Jod and the Brotherhood of Men/ and, therefore, its principles are 
to im])rove, radically improve, the conditions and sui" 
I’ound the human family with the elevating influences 
that will a])peal to their higher soul qualities, instead 
of the lower senses. Many of the so-called Christian churches 
are too far behind; some of them offer no remedies; on the contrary, 
they denounce and condemn the Reconstructive Movement. Think, 
one of them says, that this movement wants equality between Amer- 
icans and Hottentots, between Germans and Chinamen, between En- 
glish and French ; equality between learned and unlearned, between 
artist and farmer, between deformed and perfect; equality between 
Ihe good and the bad; equality between faithful wives and ])rosti- 
futes, between lovely daughters and stage girls at the dance hall.’ 


—323 


Do not these so-called Christian churches show to the world that 
their hearts are hollow, empty of the Divine Love? Do they prac- 
tice the Divine Principles taught by the unselfish, loving Master, 
wlio told to the priest, ritualistic and hypocritical pharisee: ‘Even 
the publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of heaven before you!’ 
Now, please listen to what a modern woman reformer said, and the 
world may rejoice that the twentieth century women are studying the 
spiritual, or higher laws, and will then no longer pay homage to 
ceremonies, forms of doctrines, or theories of men. This progressive 
woman, Mrs. J. F. K., does not divide the human family, but says: 
‘Open the mind to the reception of mighty fulfillments in and by the 
races of ‘all’ mankind. Effort and exercise are the two chief sources 
of all mental, as well as all physical improvement. From the spir- 
itual plane, as the race is now developing, comes every good and 
perfect gift of excellence, every inspirational evidence of power. And 
to every one who Avill learn of his or her spiritual power, the whole 
world is a place of the greatest import, a vital reservoir of information, 
eternal in its interest and development. They will know that hme 
is the place of Vision, the place of Prophecy, the place of Illumi- 
nation, and the place of Knowledge, which will make them ready for 
the mental and moral development.’ The Reconstructive Movement- 
alone, in our opinion, can transform the whole world into a place 
of the greatest import, and I do not doubt that you will admit that 
under the present system, the following thoughts and ideas have 
prevented, do prevent, and will prevent the world’s advancement.’ 

“Meditation of a Doctor: ‘What a cursed season! Nobody sick! 
Not even a dog has a cold!’ 

“A druggist: ‘Everybody is in good health in this beastly 
town.’ 

“A grave digger: ‘If we could only have a little cholera, I would 
give my daughter a dowry!’ 

“A military man: ‘Twenty years of peace! It’s the ruin of 
my career!’ 

‘•A judge: ‘If it weren’t for the criminals, what should we do?’ 

“A merchant: ‘If I succeed in driving my neighbor into bank- 
ruptcy, I’ll get his trade!’ 

“A farmer: ‘Such a calamity! The country has produced so 
much that the market is glutted. Pdessed be the years of small 
crops ! ’ 


‘‘A lawyer: 'Oh, such a stupid town! Nobody wants to pros- 
ecute anybody else!’ 

“A priest: 'Ah! If the people would only remain in ignorance, 
Ave would always be sure of the simpletons!’ 

"A policeman: 'If it weren’t for the robbers, I would have to 
steal for a living!’ — (La Squilla, Bologna, Italy.) 

“This is a very plain description of the destroying thoughts and 
ideas forced upon the human mind by a system under Avhich no one 
can gain but at the expense and suffering of others. The natural 
way of living becomes an impossibility. The Golden Rule, 'What- 
soever you would that men should do unto you, do ye even so unto 
them,’ is set aside, is ignored, for capitalism is growing more arro- 
gant, and the masses will become more abject slaves. My good 
friends, you know the preachers complain of the absence of working- 
people from the churches, but do they demonstrate that they take 
to heart and are willing to stand on the side of the oppressed? They 
do not! As one of our reformers said, 'There is an economic cancer 
gnawing at the vitals of the race,’ but a high-priced preacher from a 
capitalist pulpit said, 'The pulpit has no right to speak, save on the 
moral aspects of industrial problems iii their relation to righteous- 
ness and character.’ Ladies and gentlemen, there are two powers 
in the world which, unfortunately, are used to misguide instead of 
develop and harmonize the human family. One, I am sorry to say, 
is the pulpit, and the other, the press. Mr. J. L. McCreery has ex- 
pressed in his poem what eAwy thinking person must approve. It 
is entitled 


SOME PREACHERS. 


I suggested to my neighbor: Let it be the rule henceforth. 

When we hire a man to labor, pay him all his work is worth; 

Not withhold a portion of it, and retain it as our own — 

“Interest,” “dividends” and profits” — reaping where Ave have not soAvn. 

If a fortune Ave inherit, or a stronger arm or brain, 

’Tis not our reAvard of merit — Avherefore our financial gain? 

Strong or AA^eak, aa-c all are brothers, and the Golden Rule runs thus: 
“We should ahvays do to others as Ave’d haA^e them do to us.” 


— 325 — 


Thereupon arose a preacher, an I explained in tones irate, 

‘‘Infamous and dangerous teacher, you would shipwreck church and 
state ; 

In the name of all things holy, I demand that you desist 
From such wickedness and folly — you ungodly Socialist!” 

But I answered, never quailing: Have you thought, my reverend 
friend. 

What it is you are assailing, what it is that you defend? 

To your candid observation, and your judgment, cool and wise. 

Are we now a Christian nation, with the whole the name implies? 

You will find, if you examine into things as they are now. 

That it is not God, but Mammon, unto whom the masses bow; 
Competition, most inhuman, killing out ‘Tor business ends,” 

All that’s best in man or woman, for the sake of “dividends.” 

Knavery wins, and is applauded, honest . poverty is spurned. 

And the laborer is defrauded out of half of what he earned; 
Multitudes of starving people in the slums and alleys dwell, 

In the shadow of your steeple — yet, you tell us all is well! 

One would almost think you did not know the man of Galilee 
Ever had declared, “Forbid not little ones to come unto me!” 

For you seemingly are suited with a system that confines 
Children stunted and embruited, in the factories and mines. 

O, consistent “Christian” pastor, who your hearers would persuade 
The commandments of your Master were not meant to be obeyed! 
That His plan should be regarded an “impracticable scheme,” 

And His Golden Rule discarded as an “irridescent” dream ! 

M'hen you pray (one day in seven) “Let thy will be done on earth 
As it now is done in heaven,” what is your petition worth 
When you hurl denunciations at the agents of His will. 

Who, through laws of state and nation, seek His mandates to fulfill? 

Are you ready with sufficient and acceptable reply. 

When the holy omniscient judge of all. shall ask you why. 

When on earth, where He intended righteousness and joy should 
dwell. 

You encouraged and defended those who made of it a hell? 


—326— 


There was great applause and some were heard to exclaim, ‘‘God 
bless the poet!’^ 

“Yes, God bless the poet!’^ said the speaker, “and may those 
true ideas reach and convert the soul of everyone who reads them! 
And now, please listen to what a prominent reform paper says in 
regard to the other power, ‘the press:’ ‘But the press! This, in- 
deed, is the greatest source through whose channels the capitalist 
class poisons the minds and inflames the passions against justice. 
Through the press, useless and criminal laws have been fomented, 
nations destroyed and despoiled, legislatures corrupted, morality de- 
fied, peerless characters ruined, scandals condoned, slaughters de- 
fended, and, worst of all, the robbery of the working class justifieii 
in the name of progress. Workingmen, try to estimate, if yoii can. 
how many strikes haA^e been lost, hoAV many Avorkingmen massacred, 
hoAV many of labor’s murderers liaAe gone free, hoAV many children 
crushed out, hoAv many Avomen broken and prostituted through the 
use of this gigantic force oAvned and controlled by the capitalists of 
the Avorld. And it is through this medium that the capitalists, noAV 
embarking upon a ‘campaign of education’ against the great reform 
movement, expect to do their principal work. With the daily press 
they can reach millions of Avorkingmen and Avomen. This is the age 
of reading. The Avorkers are reading and thinking as never before 
in the Avorld’s history. The capitalists Avill spend millions of dollars 
upon the press to the hundreds bestoAved upon libraries, universities 
and hospitals.’ If anyone doubts, or thinks that this is an exaggera- 
tion, I Avill quote Avhat a distinguished Avriter said at a banquet in 
reply to a toast to ‘The Press:’ ‘It is true,’ said he, ‘that there is no 
such thing as an independent press.’ He also said that he Avas paid 
$150 a AA^eek for keeping honest opinions out of the paper Avith Athich 
he was connected, and others Avere also paid large salaries for doing 
the same thing. That the business of a leading journalist is to dis- 
tort the truth, to lie outright, to Aulify, to faAvn at the foot of mam- 
mon, for they are the tools and vassals of the rich men behind the 
scenes; they press the button, and the tools do the rest. 
Their time and talents belong to those selfish monsters, and they are 
nothing more nor less than intellectual prostitutes! Oh, hoAV often 
my soul feels depressed AA^hen I think that those intellectual beings 
prostitute themseHes; AA^hy do they not listen and treasure the 
spirit, the earnest appeal made by that incorruptible, conscientious. 


— 3 ? 7 - 


that far-sighted Swiss patriot, Nicola della Flua, ‘Never to accept 
gifts from those oppressors, for it means for them a sure moral 
■death, a surrender of their independence — of their manhood!’ You, 
good minded missionary workers, if, when you read the daily press 
and consider well every point, and listen to what every deep thinker 
says, you will become convinced that we are all solemnly bound to 
learn everything that is transpiring in this remarkable epoch. We 
will learn that a great industrial crisis is approaching, caused by 
the rapacity of capitalism. You certainly know that want and 
misery have been the main cause of revolutions in history. May 
your hearts be touched, and may you realize in time that capitalism 
IS creating in this country, in this free country, an external halo 
which will erect barriers of separation that will stand between the 
real human nobility, which is the useful working people, and the 
few capitalists, who, led by the spirit of greed, feel already con- 
vinced that they have the people under their full control. They know 
that capital, upon which everything, even the maintenance of life, 
has been made to depend, will furnish them with more power than 
any tyrannical monarch has ever had! Woe to the whole world if 
this unique country should step backward and create worldly ranks 
and distinctions! I^t us hope and pray that the capitalists may 
see the precipice opening under their feet, that they may hear before 
It is too late, the mutterings of the disturbed and restless masses. 
Let them remember that their unjust dealings fill the people’s hearts 
with hatred and vengeance, for they completely sweep from the world 
the Divine ideals of fraternal love and justice! Think of the endless 
piles of capital on the side of the few, and the endless toil on the 
side of the helpless many! The press is stirring up the mind of the 
public. In one paper you can read the news of a bride’s gifts worth 
a million dollars. Gifts that had to be guarded by detectives, for 
they were not less than ropes of pearls and diamonds, jeweled tiaras, 
corsage ornaments, stomachers, diamond, pearl and ruby rings, jew- 
eled fans, crescents, stars and brooches studded with diamonds, pearl 
inkstands and scores of other valuable gifts. In another paper you 
can read how the working people, in order to obtain the necessary 
remuneration for their toil, must recur to strikes! In another paper 
you can read : ‘Poor mothers and children given an ‘outing’.’ Among 
those poor human beings could be seen half starved mothers, fading 
day by day. Some one frankly stated, ‘that the outing of the over- 


- .? 28 — 


worked and worn out mothers of half- starved and ragged little 
children, to Avhom would be given a day at the seaside, where is 
God’s clear sunshine and pure air, would do them more good than all 
the lofty sermons that are delivered in twelve months/* 
Oh, my good friends! Let us all unite in this great reform 
movement; let us incessantly spread the infallible truth, that one 
power alone can prevent this nation from retrograding, and that is, 
the ‘collective, popular will!’ Under the Reconstructive system the 
people will understand that they are the state, and they will estab- 
lish the laws that will protect them, and then the oppressive bosses 
will disappear. The people will then become able to work out their 
own salvation. The rule of the majority for the good of all, instead 
of the rule of the trust magnates, will bring abundance for every 
living being. Under the new system, the modern sciences will do for 
mankind what they have never done before. The great discoveries that 
bring all kinds of comforts will be freely applied for the betterment 
of the whole race, instead of creating a banded aristocracy of dukes, 
earls, counts and marquises of the steel, coal, iron and other trusts. 
It will create through its glorious mission the greatest amount of 
blessings, the highest order of life. You know that the great prob- 
lems of today must be solved. In order to solve them, not super- 
ficially and temporarily, but radically and permanently, we need 
the assistance and co-operation of the other half of the human family, 
who are already giving strong proofs of their willingTiess to accept 
the philosophy of the Reconstructive Movement. With your per- 
mission I will withdraw, and give the place to my wife.” 

There was tremendous applause. When perfect order was ob- 
tained the lady began: 

“Ladies and Gentlemen! Every thinking woman understands 
that her co-operation is absolutely necessary. Women are blamed 
today as they have never been in the history of the world, for the 
social and civic wrongs. Recently we read how a bishop threw a 
bomb into the camp of the women of America: ‘The women of this 
land,’ he said, ‘are responsible for three-fourths of the crimes, indi- 
gence and poverty in the United States. If the women of this land,’ 
he continued, ‘were more broad minded, more thoughtful, more intel- 
ligent, three-fourths of the depravity that curses the present day 
would disappear!’ Not only in this, but, as well, in other countries,’^ 
women are blamed. A prominent man in Europe said that aristo- 


—329— 


wcratic women devote their days solely to foolish amusements, use- 
less actions, interminable toilets, making seances with dressmakers, 
luncheons, dinners, pink teas, receptions, balls, and theatres; that 
they spend their time in gossip, which is stupid when it is not 
wicked; that they shirk motherhood, and when they have children 
they are mostly intrusted into mercenary hands. Oh, my dear country- 
women, you know that in the past woman’s power was not under- 
stood, and through her immense efforts she succeeded in arousing a 
new ‘Woman’s Era,’ and her reward shall be, when, through her sin- 
cere and earnest efforts the Reconstructive System shall be estab- 
lished, a sweeter life and grander opportunities to develop the Divine 
ideals of Love and Justice, that shall become manifest in all the 
world! The time will soon come when the missionaries will become 
convinced that instead of wasting their time abroad, it is their duty 
to perform the missionary work at home. The following statement 
by John Swinton may seem of little importance to those who take 
no interest and are indifferent in regard to the conditions of their 
fellow beings, but it is of great importance to every true reformer. 
He said: ‘Out of all the thousand arguments that buttress the de- 
mand for a short work day, here are three : First, it is a moral 
elevator; when the hours of labor in England were the longest, the 
degradation of the laborer was the lowest. Just as the working day 
has been shortened, so have the working class risen out of the 
slough. When the working hours in England were long, sottishness 
was the bane of industry, and drunken Saturday night was followed 
by soaking Sunday, black Monday and blue Tuesday. After a long 
struggle hours were reduced, and sottishness diminished. Ten hours 
were demanded, and finally won, when again sottishness was enor- 
mously decreased. Not yet satisfied, a half-holiday Saturday was 
obtained, when once more there was an immense decrease of sot- 
tishness, which does not now prevail to one-half its former extent. 
The revenue in England from the sale of liquor during the fiscal year 
was nearly six million dollars less than for the previous year, and 
within the past ten years the receipts of the government from this 
source have decreased $22,500,000. Right straight along for forty 
years, with the decline of working hours, has gone the decline of 
liquor. We have had the same exeperience in our own country. The 
industrials that work the least hours have the least drunkenness.’ 
Ladies and Gentlemen, I cannot help but repeat again and again. 


330 — 


no one must be idle and indifferent in the solving of the great prob- 
lems, for it is the duty of every humanitarian and lover of his 
kind to examine the vital questions from every point of view, and. 
thereby become enabled to apply the mosj efficient remedies. One 
of the great demands in this new century is to organize industry 
on a scientific plane, and shorten the hours of labor. Then will the 
world witness for the first time the elevation of the human race,. 
through the natural, mental and moral growth, and then everyone 
will have the best chance to obtain the knowledge of Divine Truth, 
and then, ‘The truth will make everyone free!^ Overwork and pov- 
erty prevent people from meditating, from reading, and from study- 
ing. ‘The book,’ said Victor Hugo, ‘is the light! The light is in thc' 
book. Let it cast forth its beams. You take care of your cities,, 
you want to be safe in your homes, you are afraid of leaving the 
streets in darkness; think of the danger which is greater, the danger 
of leaving the human mind in darkness.’ He further says: ‘Indus- 
try seeks the useful, philosophy seeks the truth, the right kind of 
literature seeks the beautiful. Usefulness, truth and beauty, that 
should be the triple aim of all human efforts, and the triumph of 
these sublime efforts will be the high civilization and peace among 
mankind!’” Great applause. “Yes, literature, art, music, poetry, 
will arouse the people, and they will become convinced that they 
possess the power to break the shackles which bind them to a life 
of slavery. Do you remember what the good president, Abraham 
Lincoln, once said, that ‘pictures were the best recruiting sergeants’? 
You undoubtedly know how many political frauds and corruptions 
were exposed by cartoons, and public opinion so influenced that the 
combinations were broken up? The power of pictorial art consists 
in appealing deeply and creating ideas in the human soul. You cer- 
tainly, have heard how an audience is deeply impressed when they 
witness the reproduction of a drama, aided with moving pictures; 
how there is something fascinating and extraordinary; how it makes 
the conception more ethereal, realistic and vivid? The Reconstructive^ 
Movement is growing wonderfully. The people’s attention is drawn, 
and they are converted by the ceaseless use it makes of the reform- 
ing means of art, literature, music, song and poetry. You, no doubt, 
know how Cola da Reinzi, the famous Roman, when marching through^ 
Rome,would confine his sight upon the marbles which represented 
the ancient greatness and incited him to emulate the illustrious men 


— 331 — 


to whose memory they were consecrated ? The reading of Livio of 
Seneca, and of Tullio lighted his soul and he would not cease to 
magnify the impress of the tribunes. In those times of disorder, 
vices and extravagance, he would cry out that the officers were not 
good citizens, for they were sucking the blood of the poor. He knew 
that to awaken the dormant minds of the people nothing was more 
efficacious than pictures representing the famous allegories, which 
caused Rome to be struck with great marveling. Representing and 
deploring the misery, the slavery of the people, who were filling the 
country with lamentation and despair, he prepared thfeir minds, and 
you know how quickly he inflamed their souls, which brought into 
manifestation the needed activity which destroyed the tyranny and 
arrogance of the autocrats and enemies of the popular good. That good 
man had healed Rome of a great many moral infirmities, but, as 
history informs us, his wife was so worldly and filled with vanity 
that it is no wonder he lost sight of the right track, and, following 
her example, he decorated his person with magnificent ornaments 
in order to seduce the minds of the great multitudes, and once having 
been an ardent sustainer of the rights of the people, you know how 
morally low he fell! Of course, we know that in that dark age 
women no more than men had a chance to rightly understand what 
life really was, but today, in this advanced age, mankind will be 
more guilty than ever if it allows the broadcast powers of evil to 
exist. In this advanced age women must not imitate and follow the 
example of the women of the past. They must arise from the lower 
into a higher moral realm, then we shall no longer hear that a num- 
ber of x\merican women have taken possession of precious 
stones, of jewelry, valued at twenty-two millions and two 
hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Think of women wearing at 
ordinary receptions, jewels worth $750,000; others wearing at mere 
garden parties, jewels worth $50,000. Are they not the ones who 
encourage the modern capitalists to spread the powers of evil, in- 
stead of preventing them? Are they not to blame, when we see the 
other extreme, the women of the producers of wealth living a long 
life of slavery, whose work is never done; what rest and what pros- 
pect have they? Can we not yet perceive the great social changes 
that this advanced age calls for? Are not the women of the wealthy 
class to blame when we hear, Take a walk and look at the homes 
of the rich. They give the impression of sepulchres, the graves of 


— 332 — 


lost souls. The children are the fellow victims of the parents in 
these conditions; they have too little parent love and too many toys, 
and too many servants.’ Women must fully understand that the 
empty worldly pleasures deprive life of the true and permanent 
happiness. Oh, how my heart rejoices when I hear the news that 
women are beginning to perceive this important fact! Recently it 
was announced that two daughters of one of the wealthiest capital- 
ists in a large city were disgusted, were actually sick on account of 
the hypocrisy and sham of life among the upper classes. They hav^e 
joined a reform movement, much to the chagrin of their father and 
of the smart set. It caused the father to think. He said at an inter- 
view with a preacher: ‘You should convert the millionaires and take 
them out of their wretched and selfish lives!’ The comment of the 
paper Avas that such virtuous spasms do not live long in the atmos- 
phere Avhere men’s schemes are to rob their fellow men. Ladies and 
gentlemen, we hear preachers sometimes condemn the wrong-doings 
of society. Some of them say that this age is groaning under its 
Aveight of sin and suffering. That it is haunted at every turn by I lie 
spectre of disease and crime. They deal with the effects, Avhy do 
they not prevent the cause? Is not this destructive social system 
the cause of disease and crime? You probably have read Avhat one 
of them said, ‘that modern society is a school in AA^hich liars are 
educated, in Avhich hypocrites and shams find a plentiful field for 
operation, that modern society is as holloAV as a bass drum. Parents,’ 
he said, ‘there are no parents in modern society. Father means 
faithlessness; mother means everything but maternity. The social 
Avoman has come to regard the child as a curse. Children are con- 
sidered the chain AALich binds the hands and feet of the modern so- 
ciety Avoman. The home of the modern society Avoman is the prison 
in Avhich youths are taught the higher elements of refined crimes! 
The child learns to lie, to slander, to back-bite, to gamble, to drink, 
to SAvear at its mother’s breast!’ You see, they describe the horri- 
ble conditions, but do they help to establish a system that Avill con- 
stantly appeal to the higher, the spiritual, instead of the loAver 
qualities of humanity? Are not the capitalist combinations the 
ones that create the torrents of corruption and vice, and threaten 
a repetition of history Avhich has caused the doAvnfall of great nations ? 
‘Our civilization,’ said Victor Hugo, ‘the Avork of tAA^enty centuries, 
is at once a monster and a prodigy. It is Avorth saAung, it Avill be 


— 333 — 


saved. The nineteenth century is great, but the twentieth centeiy 
will be happy. The soul will gravitate around truth as the planet 
does around the light.’ My good friends, fortunately there are a 
great many indications that the twentieth century svomen accept 
the ideas expressed by the author, E. B., that, ‘Not only are the 
toilers of the world engaged in something like a world-wide insur- 
rection, but true and humane men and women of every degree are in 
a mood of exasperation verging on absolute revolt against social 
conditions that reduce life to a brutal struggle for existence.’ My 
good countrywomen, I hope that you, as the womeji of the great 
reform movement, will feel alarmed instead of complimented in re- 
gard to what a writer said, ‘That it is not mere opinion, hazarded 
as a guess, but a result of ten years’ study, that American women 
are gaining over the men, that they will be physically superior, as 
they are now morally superior, and their mental equals.’ Think, 
my good friends, he states that the cause is the wild craze for 
wealth, and the reckless excesses they indulge in, is what is causing 
them to deteriorate so rapidly. The American woman is the hope 
of the nation, and the pity is, that the American man is not keeping 
pace with her, and if the present tendencies continue, the American 
woman will be mentally and physically superior to the American 
man. As I said, we feel alarmed instead of complimented, for can 
we expect the improvement of the human race if either men or 
women deteriorate? Oh, may the men and women awaken! May 
they all unite and work faithfully under the banner of the Recon- 
structive Movement! May they all seek for the true wisdom, and 
no longer dwell in darkness, so they will become conscious of a new 
and divine love toward all humanity. Then, when this sublime pur- 
pose is understood, every one will enlist every form of energy to 
perform the Divine Mission, to abolish the old wrongs of filling the 
almshouses Avith paupers, and the highways with tramps, the cruelty 
that creates poA^erty, resulting in crimes of every form, that de- 
grades the highest creation on earth, the human race! May CA^ery 
man and AA^oman do their very best to spread from east to Avest, from 
north to south, the saving principles of the Reconstructive Move- 
ment, AAhich Avill saA’e every living being from the terrible precipice 
toAvard Avhich, unless AA^e establish the neAV system, they are inevita- 
bly gliding! Very recently a preacher said: ‘Do not send your 
money to missions in foreign lands. You have heathens and pagans 


334 — 


here at home/ Did he explain who are the heathens and pagans? 
He did not. Think how simple are the ideas when he said that in 
the mountains of the south are people who don’t know the name of 
the president or the governor of the state. That they don’t know, 
even, who made them. These are heathens, pagans, pure and simply. 
It is for them we labor. Why do they not admit that it is the 
present system which keeps people in ignorance and want? The 
real heathens and pagans are those who will not investigate and 
adopt the principles of the Reconstructive system, under which there 
will be no lack of knowledge. Ladies and gentlemen, for your own 
and your fellow beings’ good, you ought to study the great princi- 
ples. You will find them clearly explained in the reform papers. I 
will read some to you; ‘Under this new system, hatred will be 
stopped by stopping the fight of competition through industrial co- 
operation. It will stop the industrial warfare of competition, and 
have peace and plenty for all. It will stop drunkenness by taking 
away the need of stimulants, and the incentive of gain to deal in 
liquor. It will stop dishonesty by taking away the incentive to 
lie and steal. This great, saving, new system wants everybody to 
investigate it, because it is true. It wants everybody to Know that 
it means the organization of the industry of the world, so that the 
workers of the world will be able to produce more and better in less 
time and Avith greater ease. It Avants the Avorkers of the world to be 
free. It Avants equal opportunity for all who Avork. It wants the 
people to OAvn the public press Avhich, privately OAvned, doctors the 
ncAvs in the interest of , the rich, and pollutes the stream of truth. 
It Avants everybody to do the kind of work they are best fitted for. 
It Avants to stop the anarchy of greed at the top, and the anarchy of 
poverty at the bottom. It Avants justice, not charity. It Avants to 
stop hatred by stopping the fight of competition through industrial 
co-operation. It AA^ants those Avho, by their work, make education 
possible, to have opportunity for educating themselves. It warns 
those Avho, by their AAwk, make music and theatres and travel possi- 
ble, to have those good things. It Avants pensions for all workers 
AA^ho adA^ance in age or become disabled. It wants the sun to shine 
for all!’” Great applause. “Oh my good friends, it will appear as 
one of the greatest Avonders, for mankind will be mentally changed. 
There Avill be no antagonisms, there will be no apprehension and 
worry, for every condition will be morally, physically and spiritually 


335 — 


improved. We will all learn how, under that new system, the com- 
mon interests of all the people, as the reform press teaches, will 
make war and bloodshed abominable and impossible! People will 
not have to work for money, but first for the necessities of life, anJ 
then for what will add to their comfort and refinement. Any per- 
son with exceptional brain power will use his or her talent for the 
betterment of the race rather than for the ignoble purpose of ^eKish 
gain. The earth and the fullness thereof will belong to the human 
race, and not to the strong, who, by their strength, throw the bur- 
dens upon the weak. The necessities of life being provided for, b7 
the willing work of all, there will be opportunity for general educa 
tion and culture such as the world nas never seen. The flag of 
freedom will float over the entire civilized earth, not as an emblem of 
authority, but as the emblem of justice and good will among all mon.’^ 
Great applause. ‘‘The recreation, the education and the spiritual 
development of all the people will be looked after with the gi'eai est 
care. As this great reform paper says, it will cost no more to main- 
tain cripples and unfortunates in comfort than it does now to pro- 
long their existence in poor-houses, for there will be no- profit paid 
for their care. The waste of commercial advertising, fence building, 
maintenance of navies, and many other useless things will be dis- 
pensed with, and the people then so employed will work at something 
constructive.” 

At this point the lady speaker paused. A number of persons in 
the audience had risen from their seats. The expression of the coun- 
tenances and their lively gestures attracted everyone’s attention. 
The hall became filled with the sounds. 

“Lady Speaker, allow me to ask, isn’t that Socialism? Will not 
those great principles be obtained through the heroic energy and de- 
votion of the Socialist workers?” 

The sight of the speaker’s calmness, the sweet expression of her 
smiling face, softened the stir of the generous emotions in the listen- 
ers’ hearts. Begging her pardon they again rook their seats. 

“Yes,’’ impressively replied the speaker. “It is the great pnil- 
osophy of ‘Socialism,’ which will rapidly supply the world with the 
extremely needed moral, physical and sniritual remedies! !£ou are 
right. It is ‘Socialism’ which will establish the real Kingdom of 
Righteousness and Justice on earth! I beg you. Oh, you who are true 
Socialists, remember the true statement made by the advanced 


336 — 


American woman reformer, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, ‘That the 
deadliest enemy to onr republic is the aristocracy of our women!’ 
Let us all try our best to convert the women, the twentieth century 
women! Socialism has the supreme mission to reconstruct the 
great social body, and only by constantly spreading its saving ideals 
will the statement made in the reform press be verified, ‘The crisis 
of centuries is at hand, and Socialism holds the key to the world’s 
deliverance!’ ” 


THE END. 


EAg’l2 



MrsJIahlde J. B er ra. 
Los Angeles 
Cawlifornia. 

IS76,Cor ao* And 
Willai.r<3. A-ve 








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